It Would Be Us Against the World
by xdobby13
Summary: Set in High School. Bulma and Vegeta have not spoken for over two years. They never planned on ever speaking again, but then, out of the blue, he calls her up and asks for her help, very cryptically. She goes to see him, knowing he would not have called unless it was absolutely urgent. What does he need her help with? Find out, in It Would Be Us Against the World! Thank you!
1. Chapter 1

Bulma shot up in bed and hit her head on the low ceilings of Chi-Chi's bedroom. She silently cursed to herself and wondered what time it was. She reached over to her to check, finding that it was 6:13 AM and that she had two unread messages from Vegeta. She rolled her eyes and attempted to suppress the urge to read whatever he had to say. What could he even want? They hadn't spoken in months, years even. Ever since... Well, Bulma did not let her mind wander to those dark times.

She turned her head to glance at Chi-Chi who was still sound asleep, probably dreaming of her crush, Goku. Bulma giggled at the thought, she doubted Goku even knew Chi-Chi's name. Her mind wandered off to thoughts of her current crush, Yamcha. Well, he was more than a crush. He definitely liked her, and how could she blame him? Bulma knew she was beautiful, there was no doubt in her mind. Why hadn't he texted her last night, however? And, why _had _Vegeta, of all people? They had vowed to be in each other's life again. She tried to distract herself again with thoughts of Yamcha and his pretty hair, but it was no use. She quickly snatched her phone and clicked on Vegeta's name.

VEGETA: Woman. I need to speak with you.

VEGETA: Call me when you see this.

The messages had been sent at around 1:00 AM last night. She shouldn't call now, should she? Although she and Vegeta had not been close for some time, she knew how much he valued his sleep and how irritable he would be if she returned the call now. Still, she could not shake the longing of what he had to say... It had been so long since she had heard his voice and she missed him more than she cared to admit...

Bulma was a very stubborn woman, but Vegeta pulled out a side of her that could be completely soft, at times. Although maybe even more stubborn that usual, at other times. She dialed his phone number, hating herself for still knowing it by heart. It rang once, twice,

"Woman," she heard Vegeta's raspy voice on the other end.

"What is it, Vegeta? Why do you need to speak to me? We said we'd never talk again, never be in each other's lives-"

"Would you shut up for a second? It's urgent. I need you to come to my house, as soon as you can. I just...Please come, Bulma." The urgency in his voice and the fact that he had addressed her by her actual name struck something in her, and she found herself agreeing.

She quickly wrote a note and left it on Chi-Chi's side table regarding her abrupt departure and scurried out the door.

So, what's going to happen at Vegeta's house? Why does he need Bulma? Well, if you wanna find out, wait for the next chapter and maybe I'll tell you :)! Hope you liked it. Sorry it was so short, but this is just the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

Bulma sat outside Vegeta's house drumming her fingers on her steering wheel. What could he want? She didn't want to seem melodramatic, but she was genuinely confused as to what would make him speak to her again. He was the most proud person she had ever met in her 17 years and the Vegeta she had known would never be the first to back down from a fight. She thought of his sharp features and evil smile and deep eyes that gave her a glimpse into a man she could never fully understand. Despite the outcome of their relationship, Bulma could never stand it when people claimed that Vegeta was just a wannabe complex jerk, like some of her friends said. She rarely disagreed outloud, for not many people understood Vegeta and Bulma's relationship, but occasionally, she could not help herself.

After a few moments of sitting in silence, she gathered her belongings and her confidence and opened her car door. She made her way to the front door of Vegeta's huge home and swallowed hard on a lump in her throat. Vegeta made her so nervous, but she'd never admit that to anyone, especially him. While ringing the doorbell, she reflected on the good moments she had spent with him before everything went bad and wondered how she could possibly have feelings for someone like Yamcha. Yamcha was shallow and easy to understand after only meeting him once. Not that he wasn't sweet and caring. Vegeta was so complicated and had so many unresolved feelings and problems. Bulma wondered if it were worth it to get involved in that mess again, but she knew she had answered that question the moment she left Chi-Chi's bedroom earlier than morning.

She rung the doorbell. It opened. "Bulma?" Haruki, Vegeta's older brother, exclaimed with a confused expression on his angular face. Bulma smiled weakly; she always had a soft spot for Haruki.

"Hey, Haruki...How've you been?" She shifted her weight to her left foot awkwardly and looked at the ground. It had been a long while since she had last visted the Ryuu residence (assuming Vegeta's family name is Ryuu), but she still remembered it almost as well as her own home back at Capsule Corp.

He smiled warmly. Same Haruki as always. "I've been great. I've really missed you, Bulma. We all have..." he trailed off and examined her beautiful face. He couldn't even look into her eyes without blushing. He had too always had a thing for Bulma, with her wondering, spectacular cerulean eyes and smart, red lipped smile.

"I've missed you guys too!" Bulma tried to be cheery but her insides were in a knot thinking of Vegeta. As if in sync with her thoughts, she heard the pitter patter of her old friend coming down the stairs.

"Woman," Vegeta nodded at her curtly. Haruki stepped aside, waved at Bulma, and headed into the kitchen where his father, Takumi, was fixing breakfast. Bulma felt uneasy when she recalled that, of course, Vegeta's father would be here. They had had their differences in the past, just as she had differences with his son, and she did not really care to revisit those issues.

"Hey, Vegeta." She smiled at him and he looked exasperatedly at her, as though her kindness pained him. Why did the woman have to be this way with him? Even after all that had happened between them, she still smiled at him in the hallways, held the door for him, sent him a present on his birthday, wished him happy holidays... She would never fail to amaze him. With her actions _and_ her appearance. Embarrassingly enough, Bulma still made Vegeta go weak at the knees, with her beautiful hair, flawless body, and unmatchable intelligence. He couldn't deny that her being a genius was more than a turn on. He would never admit any of this to her, however, or anyone else for that matter.

"Upstairs." He turned away from her before she could sense any emotion within him. Bulma ignored his rude tone, for the time being, and followed him to the stairs leading up to his bedroom. As she passed the kitchen, she uncomfortably smiled at Vegeta's father who merely glanced at her and went back to his cooking.

* * *

Bulma sat on Vegeta's bed as he rummaged around on his desk for something. She looked around the room; she hadn't been in there for so long. She looked at all his posters and how they had changed from characters of video games to now posters of his favorite bands and a few posters of inspirational quotes. One really stuck out to her: "We are just puppets trapped by the grip of our own weaknesses." She wondered when Vegeta got so deep and chuckled to herself.

Unbeknownst to her, at the sound of Bulma's chuckle, Vegeta rolled his eyes. He had no time for this woman's strange sense of humor, he needed her help...He hoped she would help him. He had no one else to turn to, there was no one else who would listen to him. He turned from his desk finally, holding a mountain of papers and books, then dumped them on his bed, making a "thunk" noise next to Bulma. She flinched.

Bulma glanced over the papers and books and immediately snapped, "What?! Do you need help with your homework or something? You really called me over here at seven o'clock in the fucking morning, might I add, after not speaking for over two years, because you WANTED HELP WITH YOUR HOMEWORK? ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE VEGETA RYUU?!" She didn't quite know where her rage was coming from, but she noticed it struck a nerve in Vegeta who instantaneously grabbed a bedside lamp and threw it past her. It shattered against the wall.

She took a deep breath, realizing that she had stepped out of line. She knew Vegeta would never call her for such a minuscule problem as homework. To be perfectly honest, she never really imagined Vegeta would call her for help with any problem, no matter the size. He had way too much pride.

"Woman," he said through gritted teeth. "If you talk to me one more time like that, I will rip you. Limb. From. Limb." He gazed at her with the utmost loathing, but instantly regretted his words. Had he just threatened Bulma? He could never speak to his woman that way. Not his woman, he reminded himself. A woman. Who had been there for him at times in the past, therefore did not deserve this behavior, he tried to justify for himself. "I didn't mean that..." he trailed off, looking into her wide eyes. "Just, it's not homework, woman, don't be so stupid as to assume that I'd call you with _that_. You're not that smart, don't flatter yourself." He added for good measure. She rolled her eyes and looked more closely at the papers and books before her and gasped.

"Vegeta..." She studied his face and noticed his more serious than usual eyes. She gulped. "What is it that you are trying to tell me?"

Vegeta swallowed hard on his pride. He had to confide in her this. She was the only one who would understand and more importantly, the only one with enough brain in her head to help him get what he wanted. "I was doing a research paper on the old legends of Japan for Mr. Whatever His Name Is, you know our History teacher?"

She nodded.

"Well, whatever, I was researching for that paper, and I found a passage in an old book," his eyes motioned to the top book on the stack, "that talked about some mystical objects that could grant...wishes. That could make things happen. That could bring people...back." He looked at her before continuing to see if she maybe knew where he was going with this.

Bulma realized what he was trying to say. It all made sense now. Why he had to come to her with this, why he was so nervous and uncomfortable bringing it up, why he had put so much thought into the researching... "You found out about the Dragon Balls, didn't you?"

He nodded his head. She sighed. "Vegeta...I'm so sorry. Well, I'm sure you should _know _this, but the Dragon Balls are not real. They're a myth, just some fake, bullshit idea that was created to restore hope to the Japanese people, long ago. You know, like a Greek myth. Please don't tell me you believe it..."

"Woman, I need you to listen to me. At first, I agreed with what you just said. I mean, stupid Dragon Balls, obviously they didn't exist. But I read more, it was interesting, whatever. I do what I want, you know that. And it made sense. This book," he pointed to another one in the pile, "talks about all these incidents when things that...couldn't be explained in logical terms _happened_ and it all made _sense _to me." He paused to assure that she was still following him. "Don't you see what this MEANS, Woman?"

She knew what it meant. She knew all too well what he was trying to say. She saw the hope in his eyes, and it killed her.

"It means you want to try and bring her back, doesn't it?"

* * *

Hi, guys! Sorry took so long to update this. Also, sorry this chapter is kind of short, but I'm just trying to get you into the story before going all out. Please keep reviewing and let me know if I should change/correct anything or if you don't like anything about the story!

Next time: Who is SHE? Who does Vegeta want to bring back? And how can Bulma help him?

Thanks guys :)


	3. Chapter 3

(Last Chapter was Sunday morning)

Vegeta awoke with a start at the sound of his alarm clock. He grumbled under his breath. He had no time to go back to school. He had to find the Dragon Balls. That was if they existed. Bulma did not believe him, despite all his convincing. He even tried to ask Kakarot, in general, if he believed in the Dragon Balls, but he had just laughed in Vegeta's face. Vegeta reached over to grab his phone from his night stand. He found six unread messages from Bulma Briefs.

What a way to start off the day, he thought to himself. He assumed her words had all to do with what they had spoken about the previous day. He clicked on her name out of boredom.

BULMA BRIEFS: Vegeta, I'm not saying I'm gonna help you with this search, but if I do, we have to talk about what happened...

BULMA BRIEFS: I know you probably don't want to, but I don't care. We need to talk about it, it's been way too long.

BULMA BRIEFS: Also, I was wondering if you maybe want to be friends again?

BULMA BRIEFS: I don't know, I don't know if I want to be, but I figure if I'm gonna help you find the Dragon Balls, we might as well be on a comfortable basis, you know?

BULMA BRIEFS: I guess let me know what you think about my proposition.

BULMA BRIEFS: Sorry for rambling. I'm not really sorry though. You know how I am, I talk a lot. Whatever. See you at school.

Vegeta did not know what to reply. Friends? With this woman? With _Bulma_? He didn't know how to be friends with her. He was way too attracted to her, sexually, and being close with her always brought out a possessive side of him that he did not like. On the other hand, he needed her technologically genius mind to build him something that he could use to find the Dragon Balls. Maybe he could fake a friendship with her until she came through, then he would leave her in the dust. But, could he really do that Bulma? He shook his head, not really knowing what the answers to his thoughts were. There was so much history between them. And such a big fight that kept them apart; a fight that was still keeping them apart two years after it had happened. He knew that she had only been trying to help and that his actions were rash, but why did that make her right in the end? He had every right to act irrationally at that time, even if it meant pushing away the only people who loved him in the world. Suddenly, all that he had done to Bulma those two years ago came rushing back in an instant, and he could not bear the guilt.

He was Vegeta Ryuu, he told himself. It didn't matter what he did to anyone, especially simpletons like Bulma Briefs who only existed to be used at his disposal. Yet, no matter how vile his thoughts got that morning, he could not shake the violent feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach, so when he was driving to school, he made a hasty decision to drive by Capsule Corp.

He reached her home and recalled that he hadn't visited the Briefs home in ages. He remembered Dr. Briefs and his wife and smiled to himself. He loved Bulma's family, they had been there for him in a way that his family had not or could not. He got out of his car and snuck around back to where Bulma's bedroom was and threw a few rocks at her window. She stuck her head out and scowled.

"What do you want?" She half-yelled. She was irritated with him for not replying any of her messages and then just swinging by when she looked like a train wreck. It was also too weird for her to be seeing Vegeta so often in the time span of only about 24 hours. She couldn't lie though, she somewhat enjoyed having him be in her life again. He made her feel whole and worthy in a way that Yamcha and most other men could not. It was as if he brought out her best _and _worst self, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Vegeta smirked at her. He looked her over and noticed the bags under her eyes and how her hair was just about everywhere, and was in complete shock when he realized she still looked like the most beautiful woman in the world. He didn't know why he was feeling so much regret about losing her as his woman lately. Probably the new haircut, he reasoned with himself. At least she didn't have that god awful afro anymore. He snickered to himself. "Woman, hurry up. We're going to be late for school."

Bulma nearly screamed. "How _dare _you, Vegeta? You think you can just waltz into my life after not speaking to me for basically two years and just assume that everything is completely fine between us? And, don't think I don't see what you're doing. You're _trying _to be nice to me so I help you. Well, it's NOT going to work! I'm not going to help you because whatever we'd be looking for DOESN'T exist. You never let me help you deal with your feelings, so I don't even know what to do with you. Please stop trying to play me, and leave me the fuck alone!"

With that, she shut her window and went to sit on her bed in silence. She couldn't believe she had just spoken to such a broken form of her old friend in such a harsh way. Part of her wanted to rush back to her window sill and apologize, run down to her backyard, and kiss him. She quickly shoved that thought of her mind and strolled into her bathroom to get ready for school. It would be a long day.

* * *

Chi-Chi and Krillin sat together on a bench outside of school. Chi had a burning desire to tell Krillin about the fact that Bulma had skipped out on her to go see Vegeta the previous morning but kept trying to bite down on it. She was overjoyed when she saw her best friend walking towards her, looking a little bit more pissed off than usual. Chi understood, for she knew that Vegeta typically had that affect on people.

"B!" Krillin ran up to Bulma and gave her a huge hug. Bulma wrapped her arms around her little best friend lovingly. She needed this right now; this morning and yesterday had been so rough with her, she just needed some quality time with her best friends. She needed a good party. Or maybe some advice. She would rather go with the party, though.

"Can we throw a party?" Bulma blurted out. Chi and Krillin initially looked confused but quickly warmed to the idea. "I mean, I just think since winter break is so close...I don't know. I really need to blow off some steam, guys. Things have been getting a bit weird."

"Sure, B. How about this Saturday? Your house?" Chi laughed. They always threw their parties at Bulma's, for her parents were the richest and most relaxed and her house was the biggest.

"Sounds great, Chi." Bulma smiled warmly at her beautiful best friend, but her smile quickly faded when she remembered her recent encounters with Vegeta. She had no idea what to make of them, and she desperately needed some advice, but she knew it was not her place to speak about anything Vegeta had told her that Sunday. Plus, she had never really told her friends why she and Vegeta stopped speaking, all those years ago, so why would she bother now?

Chi-Chi noticed the change in Bulma's facial expressions and began to grow worried. In all her years of knowing Bulma, Chi-Chi knew Vegeta was the one person in the world that could always get to her, no matter how long it had been since they had last spoken. She knew that if Vegeta manipulated her enough, he could twist Bulma into doing things that she would never even think of doing for someone else. "B, can I please talk to you alone?"

Chi-Chi looked pointedly at Krillin who eventually got the hint and scurried off, probably en route to find 18, their other good friend. Krillin also had a huge crush on 18, which was obvious to everyone but her. However, Krillin hadn't actually told Bulma or Chi-Chi about his feelings, but they could see it in the way he looked at her.

"Yeah, Chich?"

"Bulma, I...I don't really know anything that's happened between you and Vegeta, since you left me that note yesterday or whatever, but I _know _what he does to you. Like, what side of you he brings out, and I know he drives you insane, and, I may not know him very well, but I know, in the past, he hasn't treated you the best. B, I just wanna make sure you're okay, that's all..." Chi-Chi lowered her voice as she lectured her best friend. She truly did care about Bulma and was most certainly not Vegeta's biggest fan. She felt bad for him, of course, after what happened all those years ago. It was horrible. But, in Chi's mind, that did not justify anything he had done to Bulma. She didn't understand how her friend could possibly be talking to him now, without strangling him, at least.

Bulma smiled at her dark haired friend. She knew Chi-Chi could be a little bit difficult at times but also knew that at heart, Chi was one of the greatest friends anyone could ask for. She was fiercely loyal and never afraid to speak her mind. She knew exactly what she wanted in life and didn't let many things get in her way. Much like myself, Bulma mused.

"I know where you're going with this, babe," Bulma started to say, taking her friend's hand and squeezing it understandingly. "But, I'm fine. Trust me! I know what I'm doing with him-"

"With whom?" Bulma spun around and saw Yamcha walking towards the two girls. She blushed furiously. Yamcha knew barely anything about what had happened between her and Vegeta. Well, apart from what had happened in front of everyone...

"Oh, nothing, I mean, just you, hun!" Bulma walked over and kissed her new man's cheek. She knew in her heart that he was really just a distraction, but he was definitely not the worst company in the world. "I was just telling Chi about the dinner you're taking me to on Friday. I'm so excited!" Bulma smiled at him, and his stomach flipped over. How could he be so lucky as to be with Bulma Briefs? He shook his head, confused by this fortunate turn of events.

"How did I get so lucky, Bulma? You're perfect," Yamcha told her while stroking her hair lovingly. Chi-Chi narrowly avoided bursting out laughing and alerted the two that she was off to her first period Physics class.

* * *

Vegeta had been watching the entire exchange between Bulma and that idiot low-life from a distance, and there was a completely disgusted expression on his face. He completely ignored all the girls who smiled at him or waved at him or offered to walk to class with him. They were all idiots, he told himself. None of them could compare to that woman. But, he could never figure out what made that woman so special. It didn't matter. He could never have her. He made that very clear two years ago, and he knew she would never, ever forgive him for what he had done. Vegeta had made peace with that, or at least that's what he told himself; he just needed to fake this "friendship" with Bulma so that he could get the Dragon Balls and be on with his life. Without that obnoxious, incessant woman and her never-ending tirades. He smirked to himself, remembering her outburst about homework from the day before.

Vegeta decided that he couldn't watch them snuggle and kiss for one more second. It had nothing to do with his feelings for the woman. Well, his lack of feelings. It was merely a courtesy to everyone around him; who wanted to see the idiot kiss Bulma Briefs? Everyone knew he was not worthy. He would be doing a kindness to her, and everyone who sat, also staring at the couple.

"Woman," he said as he arrived at his destination. He locked eyes with her and smirked. He could have a little fun, couldn't he? Make the idiot jealous. "I got your texts. I'd love to be friends again. You didn't have to beg me." He smiled at her when he saw absolute rage explode in the cerulean orbs in her eyes.

"What are you _saying_, Vegeta?" Bulma dropped her arms from Yamcha's neck and stared at her old friend with the utmost hatred. "Whatever, I'm done with you and your games. You know where I stand with my proposition." She turned from him and started walking with the idiot to her classes.

He was left there in shock. She had grown much more mature over the time that they had not spoken during. He knew the only way, at this point, to get her to help him was to give her want she wanted. To talk about what had happened. And he knew he was going to have to apologize. And that fact made him want to rip every student open, from one end of the school to the other.

He heard his name being called and turned around to see Goku and 17 walking towards him. "What do you want, Kakarot?" He snapped, completely ignoring 17.

"Some girl, I think her name's Chi-Chi-"

"Yes, I know who she is. She's the woman's best friend, or whatever. Go on."

"Okay, okay," Goku said, in an attempt to calm down his constantly furious friend. "Well, she told me you're bothering Briefs again...Are you sure you know what you're doing? Vegeta, you know she doesn't deserve this."

"You know nothing, Kakarot." With this, Vegeta walked off to his AP Calculus Honors first class, which he had with Bulma. Maybe he could sit next to her and try to push this so-called friendship. It wouldn't be that hard to fake interest in her, for she was actually fun to be around at times.

* * *

As Yamcha dropped Bulma off at her AP Calculus Honors class, he looked at his girl fondly. She was so beautiful and the black shirt that she wore today brought out the color of her eyes and her hair so well. He leaned down to kiss her immaculate lips and smiled into them.

"Yamcha! Why am I getting so much love today?" She looked up at him with those eyes and giggled. He _really _wasn't the worst company in the world, she stated to herself.

"I don't know, Briefs." He laughed as she rolled her eyes at the way he addressed her. "Bulma, this is kind of awkward to ask. Like, I know you don't want to revisit this, of course. But..."

"Just spit it out, Yamcha," Bulma snapped at him.

"Look, I was just wondering if you could tell me what happened between you and Vegeta. Like the full story. I mean, I was there when he started yelling to everyone about how little you meant to him and how he cheated on you and whatever," he stopped with that when he saw the way she began staring at the floor. "Sorry. That wasn't necessary. Just, I plan on getting to know you real well. And I want to know everything. I don't want you to keep anything from me, okay?"

Bulma sighed. She knew this was bound to happen at some point. She knew she had to tell someone what happened between her and Vegeta eventually. And, if she was perfectly honest with herself, Yamcha seemed like a pretty good candidate for whom she could share her secrets with. "Okay," she agreed. "Come over tonight. I'll tell you everything. The full story."

She spun on her heel and walked into her classroom before he could say another word, and as she entered the class, she noticed Vegeta tapping on a seat next to him. That he had saved for her.

She scoffed at him and sat in the front, next to 18.

* * *

Wooooooo another chapter done! I'm kind of getting into the story now, haha. Please keep reviewing and everything! I _promise _I will tell you what happened between Bulma and Vegeta, next chapter. I just wanted to build it up.

Next time: Bulma tells Yamcha what happened. Yamcha and Bulma's date goes a little wrong. Goku, 17, and Vegeta crash Bulma's party! Does Bulma finally agree to help Vegeta with his search?

Stay tuned. Thank you all for the reviews! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Bulma's chest tightened slightly as she and Yamcha finally arrived at his house. She was about to tell him the full story of she and Vegeta, and she didn't even know if she could. She hadn't spoken of it, thought about it, or remembered it in months. It was all a coping mechanism, of course. She didn't enjoy being honest with herself but a sick part of her still loved Vegeta. She figured there _must _be something wrong with her if she could still love him after what he'd done to her. She felt nauseas at the memories.

She and Yamcha made their way into his house and found themselves on his living room's couch. Bulma could sense his eagerness to know the truth. She knew it was time and braced herself. She put on her sweatshirt for good measure. Looking into her kind Yamcha's eyes, she began.

"Well, okay...You want to know the truth. And, I'm going to tell you, but I need to lay down some ground rules first, you got that? If I start crying, ignore it okay. I don't need or want your pity. And, if I say I don't want to go into further detail about something or, like, don't want to talk about something, don't push me. Got it?"

He nodded. She had never seen him so serious. It was kind of cute.

"Good. Okay so...Here goes." Bulma gathered herself before continuing. It was hard for her to revisit this time in her life; it was such a conflicting and dark part of her life. "So, around two years ago, Vegeta and I were kind of a couple. Yeah, I know it's weird to think that, like, how could _Vegeta _ever commit to one woman, you know? Well, we've known each other since we were about nine, I think, and we grew up together. Sometimes...sometimes he shows me a side of him that not many people see. It's not pretty, most of the time, but it's real. I don't know, I think that's relevant...So..." Bulma sensed her eyes becoming welled up with tears and stopped talking for a bit to regain her calm and cool exposure. She couldn't let someone like Yamcha see that she could be weak at times. She was Bulma Briefs, for crying out loud, she never let her emotions get the better of her. Well, not since things with Vegeta took a turn for the worse.

"Okay, so that's why I fell for him. He let me in, sometimes. Rarely. But, he did. And, I liked him when he told the truth. And, I liked that he...cared for me when he didn't so much for others. He has a hard shell or whatever, but he's so god damn loyal if he deems you worthy. Well, he used to be at least..."

Bulma looked up at Yamcha who was appearing quite worried at this point. She figured he wouldn't know what to do if she lost it. To hell with it, she thought. If this, her relationship with him, were going to be anything real, he'd have to see her at her darkest points eventually.

"You know what happened to his mom, right?" Bulma asked.

"Kind of. I know she was killed-" Bulma flinched at the way he discussed Mrs. Ryuu's passing. "Sorry for being so blunt. Um, well yeah, that's all I know about it."

"Well, Mrs. Ryuu, who was a very, very dear friend of mine," Bulma could not stop the tears at this point. "She, Kami I still can't believe this happened, she was killed. By a man named Frieza. I won't go into the details of why he killed her, it's really none of your business," she added coldly. "Kami, if I could get my hands on him...He'd never see the light of day again."

Yamcha could tell that Bulma meant every word she said. He could tell that the death of Mrs. Ryuu was with her everyday, with every step she took. He tried to remember Bulma from freshmen year of high school and recalled how much happier and at ease she was with her life. He also recalled how Vegeta was almost always at her side, always insulting her. Yamcha also noticed that he had never seen someone insult another with so much love, as the way Vegeta insulted Bulma. Before Bulma could continue, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly. He didn't know exactly what to say, but he hoped she would understand from his embrace. She kissed Yamcha's forehead, thanking him for his compassion.

"So, Vegeta sort of lost it at that point. He had kind of treated his mom badly at points, but like, who hasn't he treated badly at _some _point? He loved her so much...She was the one who had made him into the man that I eventually found myself loving. And, then she was taken away from him. And, it all happened way too quickly for anyone to handle. Let alone someone as emotionally unstable as Vegeta Ryuu..." Bulma paused for a moment. She was approaching another hard part in her story.

"Vegeta and I were still together, so to speak, at the time of his mother's passing. I knew things would be hard for us for a _long_ time. But, I didn't care. I wanted to be there for him because I knew he'd do the same for me, Kami forbid the situation were reversed. I knew he'd never give up on me no matter what, so I vowed to do the same for him. I didn't know what was about to happen, though."

Yamcha held onto Bulma's hand tighter than before. He knew what she was about to talk about.

"I walked into school one morning. It was a Thursday. Walking to the lobby, I immediately looked for Vegeta, I mean, he had called me earlier that morning telling me to meet him there or something. When I got there, I saw him and he smirked at me. You know, the usual Vegeta smirk. Then, before I knew what was really going on, he started yelling at everyone to gather round. People listen to him, I don't know why, but yeah, they did gather round. I think you were there. I remember seeing you, but I didn't really know you at that point...Anyway, yeah. He called three girls - Maron, Natsuko, and Asuka, three _friends _of mine - forward and then asked me to come stand before him. I was so confused. I had no idea what was about to happen. Then, he looked at everyone who had gathered and started telling them how he had slept with these girls. On purpose, yeah, he made sure to tell them he did it on purpose. He made sure to look me in the eyes as he said it too. He told everyone that he had done this because they were my friends, and he really wanted to make sure that I knew I meant nothing to him. That he relished in my pain and in my suffering. That I could drop dead, and he wouldn't even blink. And, that he might even be happy. I'm not exaggerating, by the way. Like, I don't want you to pity me or anything, but you asked for the truth and this is what it is."

Yamcha nodded slowly at her. He really could not believe his ears. He wanted so badly to leave his house right that second and punch Vegeta so hard that his face caved in. But, he knew Bulma would not have that. He could sense that she still cared for him but could not for the life of him figure out why.

Bulma took his nod as a sign to continue. "So, yeah. Then, he looked at me and asked me if I understood. I was so speechless I don't even know how I managed to shake my head yes. But, I did and thank Kami I managed to hold in my tears. I ran to the bathroom and stayed in there for hours. I didn't speak to him for an entire week, I only came to school one or two days during that week. It was all too humiliating. I'm not a weak girl, but I couldn't handle the way people laughed at me. So, I avoided it all. But, then I remembered that promise I had made to myself _and_ to him. That I'd never give up on him, no matter what. I had to honor that promise or at least try to. So, I went to his house about a week and a half after the incident. I remember the look at his face when he answered the door and I was standing there. Basically, we went up to his room, and I tried to tell him about that promise I had made to myself about not giving up on him, no matter what he did. And, that I understood that he only did that to me because he wanted to feel something or because he couldn't deal with his pain any other way. And then he got the angriest I've ever seen him. He almost _hit _me. I don't know how but he found it in himself to not at least _physically _hurt me, but he hit the wall next to me, and I ran out of his house before things could get worse."

"Bulma, does anyone know about this?" Yamcha looked genuinely concerned at this moment. Maybe Vegeta needed to see a psychiatrist or something. What he was hearing was not normal rebellious behavior.

"No, Yamcha, and if you _ever _fucking tell anyone about it, I will see to it that you pay."

"Sorry. You know I'd never tell if you feel so strongly about my discretion."

"I know. Yeah, so I ran out of his house. I didn't try to talk to him after that, ever again. But, two days later, his brother, Haruki, came to see me, telling me that Vegeta had sent him. Haruki told me that Vegeta wanted me to know that he never wanted to speak to me again, hear from me again, or see me again. And, that he apologized for scaring me but nothing else. That was it. I didn't speak to him again for two years, not until this past Sunday, but that's a whole other thing, and I don't want to talk about it. But yeah, that's the truth. That's what happened between us. The end. You happy?"

Yamcha shook his head and kissed her tears. She bedded with him that night, for the first time. She did her best to force Vegeta out of her mind as Yamcha thrust inside her or when they lay next to each other in silence, after. Yet, her efforts did no good.

* * *

Vegeta, Goku, 17, and 18 sat together at their favorite pizza parlor. 18 was telling her friends about Bulma's party, which was scheduled for that evening. The three boys had not been invited, for Bulma did not really know 17 and Goku and well, Vegeta was pretty much self-explanatory.

"Can't we just show up? That Bulma girl is so hot. Literally, the things I'd do to her...Can't you just take us with you, 18?" 17 whined to his sister. A blast of jealousy surged through Vegeta's entire body. How could he talk about the woman that way? She was _his_, and no one else's. He could not even think of her bedding with someone other than he. And then it dawned on him that she probably had bedded with other men, maybe even that low-life idiot whatever his name was. Some with a Y...He was always forgetting.

"Shut up, 17. She's a human being, not a toy," Goku snapped at his good friend.

"Whatever, we'll see if I can take you with me." 18 rolled her eyes at her brother but knew at heart that if the opportunity presented itself, he would only treat Bulma with respect and love.

"18, you're going to get me in that party." Vegeta glared at her, letting her know with his eyes that he meant business.

"What are you talking about, Vegeta? You _obviously _can't go, especially not after last night's fiasco!"

Goku looked between 18 and Vegeta. "What happened last night, guys?"

18 groaned. "See if your best friend will tell you what he did when he dropped by during a certain someone's _date_!" _  
_

Goku raised his eyebrows at Vegeta. "If you must know, Kakarot, I heard about Bulma and that idiot's date, so why not? Thought I'd drop by. The woman agreed wanted to be friends again, after all. Isn't that what friends do? Embarrass each other? Cause that's for sure what I feel whenever I'm around you lot." He sneered at his fellow companions.

"What did you do to Briefs?" Goku wondered, ignoring Vegeta's rude comment and pressing his earlier question.

"Nothing. I merely showed up at the restaurant they were at together, pulled up a chair to their table, and talked to them for the rest of the evening. What in Kami's name is so wrong with that?"

18 looked just short of exploding. "Are you a joke, Vegeta? Bulma called me this morning in _tears _saying how you were telling Yamcha how he shouldn't be with her, how she was so clingy and high maintenance. How you just generally dissed her for being a woman countless times. Why the fuck would you do that to her? Hasn't she suffered enough on your behalf?"

Vegeta flinched slightly at the thought of Bulma suffering. He hadn't really considered how his intrusion would make her feel, he had been too focused on ruining the evening, so she wouldn't get the chance to get into the idiot's pants or something. Moreover, he didn't need his guide to the Dragon Balls to have such a distraction as a boyfriend.

"Maybe I won't go to the party." Vegeta looked out the window of the pizza place and suddenly jumped out of the booth and was on his way before the others got a chance to object or question him. He had some business to take care of.

* * *

Vegeta drove his car down the familiar way to Capsule Corp. He was planning on going there to apologize to Bulma and see if she might invite him to her party later that evening. He needed to do whatever he could to get on her good side, otherwise she'd never help him find the Dragon Balls. He began to lose hope slowly that she'd ever help him. He knew she'd help in an instant if he had any tangible proof that they existed, but it wouldn't be for him. It would be for his mother, and he was okay with that but part of him longed for her to forgive for the awful things he had done back then. He understood, at that point, that he didn't deserve her forgiveness or her kindness, but he craved it so badly.

As he merged onto the highway, he had a change of heart. He could either go to Bulma's and try to get out an apology but knew that they'd really just end up getting into another fight. Or, he could go to her idiot's house and apologize to him about last night's events and tell him how wonderful the woman was. He laughed to himself, wondering what he had come to as he took the turn that lead to Yamcha's.

"What do _you _want, Vegeta?" Yamcha said with a shocked and angered expression on his face after opening his front door to find none other than Vegeta Ryuu standing there.

"I don't remember what your name is, but for some reason, the woman chose you. I'm not going to even try to understand why. I'm here to tell you seven things about her. Don't ask me why. Don't question my motives. I wouldn't tell you anyway, and if you ever tell her or anyone else I told you this," Vegeta took a step closer, looking into Yamcha's dark eyes with his stone cold stare, "I will rip out your esophagus and beat you with it. Got that?"

Yamcha pushed Vegeta out of his face and growled. "How dare you?! Who do you think you are?"

"Do you want to hear me out or not?"

Yamcha paused for a moment and thought it over. He truly hated himself when he agreed to let Vegeta proceed but keeping Bulma around meant a lot to him, and he realized he'd go to great lengths to make that happen.

"One, she never wears make up because she thinks it's the same as lying. Two, she hates even numbers because they're too perfect. Three, she makes a lot of lame physics jokes, so you at least have to attempt to laugh at them or she'll take it very personally. Four, she's a terrible dancer, but she loves it. Five, her favorite color is firetruck red because she always wants to make a statement. Six, she never keeps the same hairstyle for too long because her greatest fear is being forgettable. Seven, she becomes very vulnerable and open when she falls for people, so if you hurt her, just know that I'll beat you to a pulp."

* * *

"Such an awesome party, Briefs! Thanks for inviting us last minute," Goku exclaimed as he gave Bulma a quick squeeze. Chi-Chi stood a few feet away aching with jealousy at the sight of Bulma hugging her love, Goku. Bulma could feel her best friend's eyes boring into her back and knew this was Chi's only real opportunity to get to know Goku. He seemed like a real decent guy, so to show her approval, Bulma shoved Goku in her best friend's direction.

"You guys, thanks for trying to help with the whole situation I have with Vegeta, haha. I haven't known you for long, Goku, but thanks. You must be a really good person to do that for someone you don't even know. And, you, Chich, I love you. You're my sister. I really don't know what I'd do without you, ever. You guys should talk though, I'll be looking for Yamcha if you need me!" Bulma laughed as she pranced away from her new friend and her best friend. She was happy to see Chi-Chi happy. If only she could find that same happiness in Yamcha...

Bulma searched through the entire ground level of her house, indoors and outdoors, to find Yamcha. Where could he have possibly gone? Everyone was pretty much congregating in the kitchen and in the living room. She tried calling his phone, but there was no answer. She figured that she had nothing to lose and proceeded upstairs to check all the bedrooms. She was about to give up after checking a third room but was struck with curiosity at the sound of a girl's high pitched giggle coming from one of the guest bedroom's. Bulma mused that it might be Krillin getting with someone, for she had not seen him after the first five minutes or so of the party. She giggled happily, hoping this was the case and that he was finally getting over his age old crush on 18. She pushed the door gently, just to peak at who it was, and almost collapsed when her eyes met her worst nightmare.

There, Yamcha sat, kissing Maron. He held her soft, blue hair in hands as he kissed her lips and cheeks. Maron giggled softly into his neck. Bulma didn't know what to do in that moment. Would she run away and wait and see if he came and told her about his infidelity? Or, would she stand her ground and make him wish he'd never been born? And, the same would go for Maron. Kami, I just want to ring her neck, Bulma thought to herself. And, at that moment, after remembering how she had slept with Vegeta after being her friend for ten years going strong, Bulma couldn't keep it together.

"I hope you know," she began shakily to the fornicating twosome. Yamcha snapped back into reality and pulled away from Maron. Maron quietly gasped and then smirked. "You'll live to regret this, Yamcha. I don't care how long it takes, but one day, you will live to regret this."

Bulma spun around and slammed the door behind her, before bursting into tears. She ran down the stairs, grabbed a bottle of tequila, and ran out of her house, across the road, and to the only person she thought would listen to her at this moment.

As she made her way to Vegeta's house, she downed half the bottle of tequila, and the liquor hit her instantly. Her hasty run slowed to a sloppy walk, and she could barely differentiate between his house and the neighbor's. She finally arrived at his door and pressed the bell.

"Woman?" He cried, completely alarmed as he looked over her state. "What in Kami's name are you doing here? And, why do you look like an absolute wreck?!"

Bulma's tears were still coming down at full speed but his alarmed comments made her laugh so hard her sides began to hurt. Vegeta was growing more and more worried by the minute, and he began to realize that the idiot must have done something to hurt the woman.

"Did he try to hurt you, woman? Did the idiot do something wrong? Tell me. You can tell me." He grabbed hold her of her shaking body in an attempt to hold her steady and tried to force some sort of eye contact with his woman.

"Maron..." was all she said as she began laughing again. Even though she had only uttered one word, Vegeta knew exactly what she meant.

"Vegeta...I want you," she said suddenly, throwing her arms around his neck. She tried to kiss him but he grabbed her arms and pushed her away from him, gently. "Vegeta, no! I am...asking you...for sex. Sex. I want to have SEX WITH YOU!"

Vegeta didn't know whether to laugh or be concerned. "Woman, I'm not going to do this to you in your condition. If you still feel the same way after sobering up, come and see me. But, I want to do this right...After all, it's been so long..." He looked into her beautiful eyes and cringed, as it took all his will power not to reciprocate to her kisses and hugs.

Bulma exploded in anger and rage before he could stop her. "How _can _you do this to me, Vegeta?" She all out screamed at him, and the tears were still sliding down her cheeks with every word. "I...you...you ignored me for _so _long. I loved you! I only loved you. Sometimes...sometimes, I still love you, and I want to KILL MYSELF FOR IT! And, here I am, begging you to love me back...even if it is only for one night. And, you still won't have me. How could I be so _stupid_? I fucking HATE YOU! I'll never help you look for those Dragon Balls. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" She bellowed at him and ran away from his front door, into the night.

He couldn't decide whether to go after her or leave her be. If he let her be, something bad would most likely happen to her. And if he went after her, he'd have to deal with an emotional Bulma Briefs.

At the end of the day, it all boiled down to whether he actually gave a damn for her or not.

* * *

Wow, so I think this is a sort of long chapter. I don't know if I like it so much... I'm sorry about not including Bulma's decision about the search for the Dragon Balls, yet, but I promise, next chapter! I hope you don't hate Vegeta too much after finding out the reason he and Bulma stopped talking.

Could you guys please keep reviewing? Thank you so much for all your kind words! 3

P.S. There might be typos, but I'm too tired to edit right now.


	5. Chapter 5

(Note to reviewers: Thank you so much for your criticism, I hope that doesn't sound sarcastic because it's not! I really do appreciate it when you tell me what you like/what you don't like about the story. Regarding anything you are confused about, I most likely confused you on purpose, and it will be explained later on in the story. I always tie up my loose ends. In regards to Bulma being drunk and begging for sex from Vegeta, she was extremely emotional due to the fact that she just saw another boyfriend of hers cheat on her. I'm sorry if you don't like the way I handled that, but it's the way I interpret the character and it is my story. That's all, hope you guys keep reading, and please keep reviewing/thank you for the reviews!

P.S. Vegeta and Bulma are both Sophomores in the flashback so about 16 years old)

* * *

Bulma opened her eyes and looked confusedly at an unknown ceiling. She knew her ceiling was purple, where the hell was she? She stretched her arms out in a bed that wasn't hers and realized suddenly that she had a pounding headache. As she ran her fingers through her hair, all the memories from the previous night came flooding back in. She remembered Yamcha and Maron and winced. Then, she remembered hitting on Vegeta and her saying no. The last thing she remembered was running away from him, into the night. She rolled over in the bed that wasn't hers and, to her astonishment, saw Vegeta sitting across from her with his usual smirk playing on his lips.

"Kami! What are you doing here?" She screeched, pulling the sheets up in an attempt to cover herself once she found she was wearing the same racy dress from her party.

"Taking care of you, woman," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

Bulma looked around again, more carefully, and realized she was in one of the guest rooms of the Ryuu household. "Oh...Thanks." She looked at him and smiled, and he shifted uncomfortable.

"I just didn't want some injury of yours to be on my hands, woman. Don't read into it too much."

Bulma ignored his comment and went over to kiss him on the cheek. He didn't react on the façade, but his insides exploded like an atomic bomb. She went back and sat on the edge of the bed and looked him over. He looked very tired, as though he had been up all night, and she could see a tinge of worry glistening in his eyes. Could it be? Vegeta Ryuu had been worried about _her_? She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"So, please, tell me about your heroic acts. What happened last night?" She crossed her legs conversationally and motioned for him to go on.

"What do you want me to say, woman? You threw yourself at me, I said no because I wasn't about to take advantage of your drunken state, you ran away all angrily, as you always are, ten feet away from my house, you tripped on the pavement and fell flat on your face, I brought you in the house and put you in that bed. What else do you want me to say?"

"Nothing..." she said, smiling slightly. "Just, thank you. You didn't have to do that, thanks."

"Yes I did, woman. If I had just let you run wild and get hurt, all your _friends _would blame me, and I certainly do not need that stress. So yes, I had to do that." He glared at her. Why was she being so nice to him as usual? He had done everything in his power to get her to hate him, yet she was looking at him with her loving eyes. All he wanted to do was pick her up in his arms and kiss her till the sun went down.

"I guess so. I'm still thanking you, though. Wait, why didn't you take me home?"

"Maybe I like your company occasionally, woman. As I said, don't read into it too much."

She chuckled.

"Bulma, what happened last night? Why did you come to me?" Vegeta got up from his chair to come and sit next to her.

Bulma looked at the floor. She knew what happened, but she didn't really want to think about it. How could Yamcha do that to her? She didn't even understand. She realized that the cheating in general, especially with Maron, hurt more than the fact that Yamcha cheated on her. She wasn't all that mad at him but more at the fact that he betrayed her trust, and that she let herself get hurt again.

"Yamcha cheated on me...with Maron. I walked in on them, ran out of there...I grabbed the first bottle of alcohol I saw, downed half of it. Came running here because I wanted to forget, and I thought you'd help me with that. But, you didn't," she scowled at him with her last words.

"When did you start drinking like that? You should stop, I don't want to have to keep saving you," he attempted to snap at her, but she could see right through his tough façade.

"Ooo, did I just hear you correctly? Do you care about me, Vegeta?" She snickered and kissed his cheek again, fondly. He rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek back. He then looked away and wondered why he was being so loving towards her. He had gotten over her at this point, hadn't he?

"Vegeta...does this make us friends?"

"Not yet...you know what your prerequisite to our friendship is. I'm willing to agree to that, woman. I'm tired of fighting you. You're too stubborn with me, I want you in my life again. I need you in my life again. I give up." Vegeta didn't know if he was telling the truth or not, at this point. He thought he had just been lying to get her to help him this entire time, but as he spoke, the words came out so easily. They seemed so right and easy to say. He did want her in his life again. "We can talk about what happened."

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Vegeta threw the "Every Breath You Take" vinyl against the wall and it shattered. He picked up Bulma's purse and ripped off the handle.

"Vegeta! Stop, please!" Bulma cried, grabbing onto his arm. She didn't know what to do anymore. She was honoring her promise, not giving up on him. But, it had taken everything out of her to do so. She hadn't seen her friends in weeks, hadn't been passing her classes at all lately, and her face was becoming sunken and sallow due to lack of sleep and incessant crying. She didn't care, though. She owed this to him. She would do anything for him, to make him feel better, to make him feel anything, other than pain. She couldn't bear seeing him in this state anymore. He had begun cutting himself; she had caught him with heroin the day before, stopping him just before he injected the needle into his skin. He hadn't eaten anything substantial in about a week and was almost always ripping things off the walls or getting into fights with strangers.

She had tried talking him into therapy, but he wouldn't hear it. He began drinking profusely, almost everyday now. When he was drunk, he'd sneak into Bulma's somehow and fall asleep next to her. These were his most peaceful moments, and Bulma cherished them, even though she knew they were only due to the power of alcohol.

He kept trying to go to the jail where the man who had killed his mother, Frieza, was being held. He wanted to go there and rip his head off, as he told her every single day. She understood how he felt; she felt the same way. But, she knew the only way he was going to start feeling better was to accept the truth and try to make peace with it. She tried so desperately to make him see that Kami would honor his mother and take her exactly where she deserved to be in the Other World. Only the most peaceful and happy place for Mrs. Ryuu. She was the most good hearted woman Bulma had ever met.

"I CAN'T, BULMA! SHE'S GONE. _I_ want to be gone..." he said slowly, and he snatched a box cutter knife that lay on his desk. He brought it up to his neck, near his jugular vein and slid it over his skin, menacingly.

"VEGETA, PLEASE!" Bulma exclaimed, running towards him, but she stopped when she saw him pull the knife deeper into his neck. A small drop of blood trickled down his skin, and she felt something die inside of her. "Vegeta, I need you here. With me. Please...please just stop. I need you. I need you." She repeated herself over and over, hoping it would strike something within him.

The anger and rage in his eyes slowly died down to a more mournful and concerned level, and he lowered the knife. He walked over to Bulma and pulled the crying girl into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. He couldn't believe what he had just done, and what he had done to her. He kissed her with all his might, and she melted into his arms, their tears mixing together.

"I'm sorry..." he said softly, into her hair. "I just...I don't know what to do with myself anymore..."

She looked up at him and cupped his face. "I'm gonna be here for you for as long as you want me, alright? And longer. I really don't want you to think that I'm gonna get tired of you or something. We're gonna get through this together."

He weakly smiled down at his woman. He could never understand how she could be this way with him, even after all his rage and everything. She had the biggest heart he'd ever encountered. He really looked at her for the first time in weeks and noticed her sunken and dead eyes. He noticed her unkept hair and cracked lips.

"Woman, when was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

"Uh...Well, you keep coming into my room at night and then fall asleep, and you kinda toss and turn a lot, so not for a while, I guess. But, please keep coming...It gives me a chance to spend time with you, even if you're not awake for him," she added hurriedly. She really did not want to lose that quality time with him.

"I won't, I guess. It's the only time I get any actual sleep. I can't seem to sleep in my room or anywhere in my house for that matter...It's just so empty...without her," he muttered and a tear trickled down his cheek. Bulma caught it with her finger and wiped it on the side of her jeans. "But maybe," he continued, "you could go spend a couple of nights at Chi-Chi's or 18's and get some rest."

"I haven't really spoken to them in a while..."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, no reason really. I've been busy with other things, you know."

"Me?"

"No, I mean, well, yes, but it's not like I don't want to be busy with you. I told you I'm here for you."

"Bulma, have I changed you?" Vegeta asked her, now becoming more serious. They sat down on his bed together and he held her hands in his. "I mean, I haven't really asked, I'm sorry, but has my behavior, I guess, changed you or your life in some way? I can see it in your eyes. They don't have their usual spark."

"No, Vegeta."

"Yes, it has changed you. I can see it right in front of me, woman, don't try to hide it. Tell me. Now."

"There's nothing to tell you!" She exclaimed, yanking her hands away from him and fiddling with a loose thread on her pocket.

"Woman, you will tell me now."

Bulma rolled her eyes. At least he was being somewhat like the old Vegeta, what with his obnoxiousness and need for control. "Fine. But, first, this isn't going to change anything. You're not going to worry about me because the only one who should be doing the worrying is me. You're not going to try to help me or anything, you got that?"

He nodded his head but didn't really plan on honoring her words. If she needed his help, she was going to get it, whether she liked it or not.

"Well," she began, "I just really am focused on you right now. Don't take that the wrong way, I mean, I _want_ to be focused on you. You're...the most important thing in my life, and you need me right now, I think more than you care to admit, and all I want to do _is _be there for you. So, yeah I guess that's affected the rest of my life a little bit, but it's not a big deal." She smiled at him in a completely non-convincing way.

"Tell me _how _it has affected the rest of your life." He grabbed onto her hand again and held it more firmly, so that she would not escape his grasp.

"It doesn't matter, Vegeta."

"You will tell me now! Bulma, I must know!"

"_Fine_," she hissed. "I guess, I don't know, I haven't seen my friends since...since the funeral. I haven't really passed a test since either. Yeah, I haven't really eaten much or slept well in a while either. But, _please_, _please_, I am not complaining. I told you I want to be here for you, no matter what, and I wasn't lying when I said that. I'm doing all of that by choice, I promise you that."_  
_

Vegeta looked into her sad, beautiful eyes and cringed inwardly. He could see very clearly what he was doing to her, and he didn't know how to stop it. He brought her palm up to his lips to kiss and noticed a thin scar on her wrist and couldn't take it anymore. He had to do something to fix the way he had damaged her, during these past few months.

"I see," he said awkwardly. "I know you're doing it by choice. But, now you say you want to be there for me, right?"

She nodded.

"I want you to go home and get some sleep, okay? So you can be there for me tomorrow. I'm fine right now. I promise."

She finally agreed, and they kissed so passionately for a few moments that it was as if all the worries in the world had fluttered away. She gathered her things and walked out of his room, leaving him sprawled across his bed, not knowing what to do. He knew he had to do something to help her, for he couldn't bear seeing her like this, all broken. Especially because it was his fault she was like that. Before he could get into any real thinking, his brother, Haruki, knocked at his door.

"Come in," Vegeta grunted.

"Hey...I brought you a sandwich in case you were hungry..." Haruki said tentatively, leaving the plate on Vegeta's desk and turning to leave the room.

"What do I do about Bulma?" Vegeta asked abruptly, turning to look his only brother in the eyes.

"What do you mean? She's been so good with you lately...I think...Is there something wrong?"

"I just...She doesn't deserve the mess I'm in. She deserves to be happy, don't you think?" Vegeta got up and started pacing around in his room. He was starting to realize the answer to his questions, and they made him want to shrivel up and die. How could he ever be without his woman? She made him whole. She made him feel truly invincible. "I keep getting _so _angry and so enraged, even when I'm around her. And, I'm afraid I've been acting out on her, for no reason. She doesn't deserve this, Haruki! What do I do? She's the best thing that's ever happened to me..." He paused. "If you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll rip your intestines out, understood?"

Haruki snorted. "I understand, Vegeta. And yes, I know she doesn't deserve it. And, I also think I know what you should do...But, I really don't think you're going to like it."

"What is it? Spit it out."

"Let her go."

"I can't do that...I'd go insane without her."

Haruki rubbed his brother's shoulder thoughtfully and reasoned, "I know. But, you'd also go insane seeing her the way she is right now. If you love her, which I know you do despite your lack of ability to admit it, you know her happiness comes first. And, I truly believe that the way to make her happy, in the long run, is to let her go. Yeah, she'll be devastated for a while, but I think in the long run it will do her good. It will do both of you good. You both need to go on with your lives without having to worry about taking care of the other. And, maybe, you'll find your way back to each other again, when you're ready."

"I don't know how to live without her, at least as a friend in my life."

"Vegeta, you have to let her go. Completely."

"She'd never go for that, though," Vegeta said, realizing it for the first time as well. "The stubborn woman, she'd never listen. She'd know I'm trying to do it for her own good, or whatever and would tell me to give it up. Letting her go wouldn't even work out, it's a stupid idea."

"Then...You have to break her heart," Haruki stated.

"I can't..."

"You have to. It's the only way to let her go, if you think she wouldn't leave you if you reasoned with her. You have to break her heart then."

Vegeta nodded as he knew his brother was right. He would break Bulma's heart; it was the only way he knew how to do right by her. It was the only way he could give her happiness, even if he was giving her sadness for the time being. He truly believed he was doing the right thing, for he knew that her being in his life would do no good for either of them. He'd break her heart. And, it would have to be completely brutal for her to leave him, after she had promised herself that she'd stick with him, no matter what. He rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. He would have to break her heart, as brutally as he could, it was the only way.

* * *

**END FLASHBACK**

Bulma looked down at her feet, her mouth gaping open. She couldn't even look Vegeta in the eyes when she said, "That's why you did that? You wanted to let me go? FOR MY OWN FUCKING GOOD?!" She then proceeded to slap him across the face so hard her hand hurt, though she knew it didn't cause him the slightest, at least, physical pain.

"That's why," he replied quietly, with his stone cold expression.

She thought it over in her head. He had done those terrible, unforgivable things because he wanted her to be happy. She couldn't wrap her head around that fact. She also wanted to punch him until he couldn't move for the next two weeks. How could he possibly think that breaking her heart would make her happy, would help in the long run? But, Bulma thought about those past two years and how, despite the tremendous pain in her chest everyday, she excelled in every single one of her classes, becoming the top student. Her social life sky rocketed, and she began having fun again, at least on the outside. But, no matter how far her new adventures with her friends or the new inventions she worked with her dad took her, she never shook Vegeta. She never shook the pain he had caused her. She never shook the look in his eyes when he was about to kiss her. She never shook the way he held her, or the way he smirked at her when she yelled at him. She realized that, in his own twisted way, he had done everything he could to ensure that she would be happy. But, why couldn't he see that the only way she was going to be happy was with him? She knew now she could never have him, after what he did, even if it had good intentions, he still did those things to her, and they broke her heart into a million tiny pieces. She couldn't let herself be vulnerable like that with him anymore. But, she did love him. And, she did want to be his friend again. And, she knew how she could get what she wanted.

They sat in silence for a long time, maybe even an hour. Bulma then broke that silence with three words, "I'll help you."

* * *

Bulma and Krillin walked down the History floor's hallway together, chatting about nonsense things. Bulma was laughing and smiling as she noticed some whispering and pointing come from behind her.

"She and _Vegeta _are getting pretty close again," she heard a junior mutter to her friend. Bulma flipped around and walked towards them, leaving Krillin dumbfounded, standing by himself.

"And, _why_ is that any of your business?" Bulma screeched, putting her hands on hips and tapping her foot impatiently. Sometimes high school kids could be so immature, she thought to herself. They two did not answer but rather stared at her with their mouths open slightly. "I thought so," she snapped and returned to Krillin.

"Can you believe those two?" she asked her bald headed friend while hooking arms with him. They were walking to their fourth period World History class.

"Well, they're not the only people I've heard talking about...your new found friendship, if that's what you mean," he answered, putting his head down. He had hoped Bulma wouldn't find out, but it was basically the hottest topic in the school that day. Everyone was talking about it, even people who didn't know what happened two years ago.

"What? Ugh, this is so not anyone else's business..." Bulma said, rolling her beautiful eyes. "Krillin, do you think I'm making a mistake by being his friend?"

"Gosh, Bulms...I don't even know, to tell you the truth. I know what he did to you, and I hate him for that. But, you said he's changed, so I don't know what to tell you."

Bulma shook her head at him. As they were about to enter the classroom, she heard her name being called, turning around to see Yamcha speed walking towards her. She didn't know if she wanted to talk to him yet. If she even cared what he had to say to her. She was so confused as to why he cheated on her; he had seemed so interested in her prior to that unhappy event. Krillin looked up at her as if to say "do you want me to get rid of him?" Bulma shook her head at her dear friend. She knew it was time to talk to him, there was no use putting it off for later. She was hardly even mad anymore. She patted Krillin's shoulder and walked up to Yamcha.

"Bulma, I'm so so so so so so so so _SO _sorry!" He blurted out before she got a chance to say anything. "I don't know why I did that...I was drunk, that's no excuse I know, and that thing you said about spending time with Vegeta now was stuck in my head...I have no idea...I'm not making any excuses. Maron came up to the room I was sitting, and I started telling her about how I was jealous, I don't even know, and then she said that she'd help me. I didn't really know what she meant in that moment, which was _so_ stupid of me, and then she kissed me. And, for some reason, I didn't push her off...yet...and then you came in...And, I'm just so sorry. You've got to believe me, I never meant to hurt you. Kami, I'm so sorry, Bulma..."

Bulma stood before him blankly for a few moments before beginning to speak. "I know you're sorry, Yamcha," she said slowly, "and I forgive you. I do. I don't think you meant to hurt me or had bad intentions. But, I just can't be with you. This made me realize that. Like...it didn't break my heart, so I realized that I shouldn't be with you. We just don't have that spark. I'm sorry to be telling you like this. I hope we can still be friends." She smiled at him and kissed his, then entered her history classroom before he could say anything else.

* * *

"Goku!" Chi-Chi yelled, running up to the black haired boy. She didn't know where she was finding the courage to talk to _him_, for she had had feelings for him for as long as she could remember. He was just so adorable, with her big, unassuming eyes and innocent smile. She wanted to kiss him then and there but fought off the urge. She had come to talk to him for a different reason. A reason pertaining to Bulma and Vegeta._  
_

"Hey," Goku replied, smiling at the raven-haired girl. She had been in his life quite more frequently now, and he couldn't deny that he liked it. She had so much fire in her.

"We have to talk. About Bulma and Vegeta. I'm worried about her, she told me she's become friends with him again, and I don't know if he's just going to hurt her again. He actually can't hurt her again, or he'll be a dead man. I swear, you think I'm kidding, but you didn't have to deal with her when he hurt her all those years ago. Goku, you've gotta tell me, if he has some ulterior motives her...please."

"Hey, hey slow down!" Goku exclaimed, kindly. He rubbed her shoulder consolingly and suddenly Chi-Chi felt significantly better. "I know what you mean...But, don't worry, I won't let him hurt her. I don't think he would anyway. Between me and you," he said softly, pulling her closer to him, "sometimes when he sleeps at my place, or whatever, I hear him say her name. I'm not kidding. But, don't worry, he's going away to, like, his uncle's place, out of the city, during winter break, so I doubt they'll even see each other."

"She told me she's going to her aunt's place out of the city..." Chi-Chi stated thoughtfully.

"You don't think..."

"Yes, yes I'm afraid I do." Chi-Chi looked up worriedly at the beautiful boy standing before her.

* * *

Winter Break had arrived. It was all set. Bulma and Vegeta would leave the next morning at 8:30 AM sharp for her father's secluded lab in the mountains, so she could build a device to track the Dragon Balls. They had each lied to their parents, saying that the whole gang was going off to a beach house down further south, and that they would be back in about two weeks. Bulma sat in her room packing, wondering what was going to happen on this trip. Would they get hurt? Would she and Vegeta get together? Did the Dragon Balls even exist? She stared down at a folded pink shirt in her hands and wondered.

"Hi," she heard from her door. She turned to see Vegeta standing there. "Your mom let me in."

"Hey..." she said awkwardly and moved some clothes around on her bed so that he could sit.

"Just wanted to make sure you were ready, woman. I know how long you take usually." He sat down next to her.

They talked for what seemed like hours, about everything and nothing. They laughed, which was something they hadn't done together in a while. She made fun of him, and he snapped at her as usual. And, they kept talking. Until they stopped talking. He kissed her. And, she kissed him back. He put his fingers in her blue hair hungrily and deepened the kiss, not really sure what he was doing or why. She slowly put her arms around his neck and pulled her towards him, smiling against his lips.

He pushed her down onto the bed and moved his hands to her waist, feeling all of her skin and feeling whole. She began to kiss his neck hungrily, and his hands reached the bottom of her shirt and started to take it off. He kissed her entire stomach, savoring her taste. Oh how he had missed it. His right hand found its way in between her legs and rubbed, causing Bulma to let out a small moan. He kissed her mouth, biting her bottom lip slightly, wanting her so badly in that moment.

She then realized what they were doing and pushed him off quickly. A little bit of sadness entered his eyes, but he blinked before she could really notice.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I can't do this. I can't. I'm sorry."

"Whatever, woman. I was hoping maybe we just be, like, friends with benefits or something...I don't really care," he lied.

"I just," she replied, ignoring him completely, "I forgive you for what you did to me...But, I can't forget what you did. And, I don't think I can ever be with you again, because of that. I'm sorry, Vegeta." She sat up and put her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his smell deeply. He pushed her away, gently.

"It doesn't matter, woman," he stated, monotonously. "I'll be here at 8:30 sharp woman. Be ready, I don't want to have to delay this because of you."

With that, he left the room, leaving a very confused, half topless Bulma alone on her bed.

* * *

Done! Sorry this one took so long. I do not own "Every Breath You Take". It's a great record, but it's not mine. Please don't sue me! Hope you guys liked this one. Next time: they start the search for the Dragon Balls. Keep reviewing, please!


	6. Chapter 6

Krillin felt as though his insides were on a roller coaster, as 18's arm brushed against his. He gulped and took a giant sip of his soda before continuing to listen to whatever Chi-Chi was blabbering about. They had all gathered at the local pizza place the first Monday of break (Bulma and Vegeta left on a Saturday morning for the lab, so they've been there two days now) to discuss the whereabouts of their other friends, Bulma and Vegeta. Both had come up with a bullshit story about visiting some random aunt or uncle in the countryside, but they were each flawed coverups. Krillin knew that the only aunt Bulma ever spoke to lived in California. Goku knew that Vegeta's uncle lived in the far most southern part of Japan, a very urban place at that, and most certainly not in the countryside. Given that Bulma and Vegeta had become friends again recently, their friends could only assume that they had gone somewhere together. None of them had expected that Bulma would forgive Vegeta for what he had done to her; it was a complete shock to all of them. And, Goku knew that Vegeta still had un-dealt with feelings for Bulma, and it was completely obvious that Bulma still had some lingering feelings for him. But, why would they have gone off together? Surely they could have spent time together, even alone, at home, if they wanted to. They must have had a real reason to leave so abruptly.

"Maybe they're eloping," 17 mused, taking a bite of his pizza crust and feeling a pang of jealousy in his gut. He always had a little crush on Bulma, yet she was always taken by someone else. 18 whacked her brother on the back of his head at his stupidity.

"Okay...No." She said, rolling her eyes. "Guys, why are we even bothering? If they want some alone time to do _whatever _they're doing, let them have it!"

Goku glanced at Chi-Chi after 18 had expressed her opinion. He could tell that Chi was in no way giving up the search for her best friend, she cared far too much about her and for Vegeta not getting the chance to hurt her again.

"I think we should at least find out where they've gone, you know," Goku offered and turned to Chi-Chi and smiled. She gave him a thankful grin and squeezed his hand warmly. They each felt a little flutter in their stomachs as the butterflies flew around.

"I agree with Goku!" She exclaimed to the group. "I'm going to call Bulma and see if she tells me the truth. Plus, it's her birthday tomorrow, so she'll definitely pick up." She dialed her friend's number and waited. After a few rings, she said, "No answer...Wow, she never ignores my calls. What the hell is going on?"

They all sat around, eating their pizza and giving each other confused glances. There was no way that they could find out where their friends had gone, if Bulma refused to answer the phone, and they knew Vegeta would never tell them the truth. It was getting late, so Chi-Chi broke the silence, "Well, if we're not gonna get to the bottom of anything, I think I'm gonna go home. But, do you guys wanna see a movie tonight or something?" Everyone broke out in a agreement, and it was soon decided that they would later convene at the local movie theater to see the most recent horror film. Everyone's favorite. "Alright!" She said again. "See you guys later."

"Wait, Chi-Chi!" Goku said, sliding out of the booth awkwardly. "I'll walk you out."

She smiled at him and blushed profusely. They walked in silence as they exited the restaurant but once outside, he spun her around to look at him. She looked a little bit shocked, so he caressed her cheek fondly. She blushed again.

"It's been really great getting to know you lately," he mumbled, suddenly becoming very shy and not being able to maintain eye contact very well.

Chi-Chi found his onyx eyes and said, "Haha, yeah. It really has been..."

"I was just wondering, will you have dinner with me? I can cook! Ish. Well, I'll do my best! Haha. So...What do you say?"

Chi-Chi felt as though she was about to die. This dream she'd had for so long was finally coming true, but she felt so differently about it than she had expected. Instead of feeling like some fangirl getting kissed on the cheek by their favorite star, she felt at home with Goku. He made her feel so safe, with his loving smiles and perfectly naïve eyes.

"That would be lovely," she replied, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

* * *

For the past two days, Bulma and Vegeta had been ignoring each other while in her father's lab. He just exercised and trained, in case they got into any physical trouble on their search. She kept to herself in the tech lab, working on the Dragon Ball radar. It had been coming along well, she had used the history books' descriptions of the properties of the Dragon Balls as an aid to her construction of the radar. It was difficult, however, since she didn't have an actual Dragon Ball to use as an apparatus. She figured it would be another 3 or 4 days until she was done, which irritated Vegeta, as he wanted to get the show on the road.

That evening, she tried to find Vegeta to bid goodnight, but he was nowhere to be found. She shrugged and retreated to her bedroom, wanting to stay up till midnight, given that the following day was her birthday but knew she was far too sleepy. She had to at least wish herself, for she knew Vegeta would not care or remember. It was her 18th birthday, after all. Yet, she fell asleep at around 10:30 PM.

"Woman," she felt someone shake her. She rolled over to find Vegeta standing over her, holding an orchid in one hand and a small bag in the other. "Wake up."

"What? Vegeta? What are you _doing _in here?!" She sat up and looked at him angrily.

"Happy anniversary of your day of birth," he replied, ignoring her protests. He placed the orchid on her bedside table and put the bag in front of her. She looked at it suspiciously. "It's not a bomb or something, woman."

She reached into the bag and pulled out a box. In the box was a necklace she had thought she had lost years ago. The last time she remembered having it was before she was to sleepaway tech camp the summer after seventh grade. "What? I thought I lost this..."

"Actually," Vegeta explained, averting his eyes to the pillow next to her. "I took it from you before you left for that camp. I was gonna miss you. That was back when I _cared _about you." He sat down next to her, and she chuckled at his rude remark. She beamed at him.

Bulma could not believe what was happening before her eyes. He had remembered her birthday and given her a token of their childhood together. She couldn't believe he had had that necklace all along. For a moment, she let her mind wonder to some speculations that she had kept hidden ever since they had become friends again. Did he have feelings for her? And, more importantly, could she possibly have feelings for him again? Not old lingering feelings from when they were an item, but new, fresh feelings, from this newfound, strange friendship. She couldn't possibly. Not after what he'd done, it was too cruel. But, she found that she was completely helpless with Vegeta, and she hated that about herself. But, she loved it about him. She would have to push those feelings into a deep, dark cave where no one would ever find them. And, she could not let something like that kiss happen again; that had been bad. She felt so alive when he was running his fingers through her hair, and she was kissing his neck, and she could feel his hunger and thirst for her. It made her feel powerful and excited, two things she never felt when she was with Yamcha, or any other man for that matter.

"Thank you so much..." she began slowly, taking his arm and pulling him closer to her, instantly forgetting about all her thoughts from a few moments ago. "This really is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me. Like, I've gotten nice presents and stuff, but no one's ever put so much thought into it. Thank you, Vegeta."

"Yeah, whatever, woman. This was just to show my gratitude for, you know, helping me," he quickly responded, still not knowing whether that was a lie or the truth. He had spent the last week or so, before they had left for the lab, trying to find that necklace, for he knew Bulma's birthday was coming up. He had stashed it away because Haruki had caught him playing with him a few times after Bulma had left him.

"Doesn't matter. I can't believe you have that necklace, haha, I thought irresponsible me had gone and lost it."

"You are irresponsible in most situations, but yes, I'll take the blame for this one."

"Hey! When am I ever irresponsible, bud? Shut up."

"Um...check your dating history. That Yam-whatever guy? What a disgusting choice. Apart from me, however. You actually had some good taste, for once, in that decision." He snickered.

"Wow, shut up, Vegeta! Dating you was the worst decision of my life!" She said, in a clearly sarcastic tone, but he still winced slightly at her words.

"Was it, woman?" He asked, cupping her cheek suddenly. Again, he had no idea what he was doing or why. And, neither did she. But, neither cared in the slightest.

"Yeah..." She mumbled, looking down.

"It was the best decision of mine," he found himself saying. He leaned in and kissed her soft lips, and she let him. His entire body filled up with joy; this kiss was different than the last. This was sweet and lingering, as though neither of them wanted it to end. He felt the curvature of her lips with his tongue and inhaled her beautiful scent, memorizing it, holding onto it. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, then her ear lobe. He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead, all the while wondering why he was being so loving. Because it's her birthday, he tried to make excuses with himself.

Bulma slowly placed her hands in his spiky hair and deepened their kiss, kissing his chin and jaw. She couldn't believe this was happening and more that she was utterly enjoying it. His hands found their way to her waist, and he pulled her even closer to him, guiding her down to lie down on her bed. He picked up her hand and kissed it, like a prince would kiss his princess. He pulled her head down onto his chest and, with his other hand, turned off the light.

"Goodnight, woman."

* * *

When Bulma awoke the next morning, Vegeta was no longer there. She thought of the previous night and touched her lips, wondering if it had just been a dream. Then, she rolled over in bed to see the beautiful blue orchid on her night table and smiled. It had all been real. He really had treated her as a princess on her birthday. And then she realized it was her birthday. Her eighteenth birthday. And, she screamed.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" She yelled and leaped out of her bed, suddenly feeling very energized. Vegeta came running into her room and looked at her with an alarmed expression.

"What the fuck is going on in here, woman?!"

She cracked up. "Nothing! I just realized...I'm _eighteen_."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned to return to his training, but Bulma ran up to him and grabbed his arm to turn him around to face her. He looked at her confusedly, and she kissed him. Without registering what was occurring, he picked her up and kissed her more deeply, grabbing her skimpy night gown in one hand and pulling it off without thinking twice. She giggled. He threw her on her bed and fell on top of her, letting his hands wander all over her body. He grabbed her breast with his hand and started pinching her nipple with his fingers. She let out of a soft moan and writhed under his body. He kissed her chest, and his hands traveled down her body slowly and found its way in between her legs. He yanked off her underwear, and she gasped. His fingers slid over her wet entrance, teasing her. She grabbed handfuls of his hair frustratedly, as if begging him to go further. He decided he would tease her further and removed his hand and cupped her cheek, kissing her and biting her lip hungrily. She frowned against his lips, and he snickered.

"Vegeta...please..." she whispered into his ear, and he shuddered at how aroused he was in that moment.

His hand moved back down to her entrance, and he thrust two fingers inside her when she was least expecting it, loving the spark of sheer ecstasy in her eyes. He rubbed her and thrust his fingers inside her, and she yelped with pleasure. He silenced her moans with his lips, though he loved them. He loved the way he was making her feel. Suddenly, she pushed him over and started kissing down his chest.

He ran his fingers through her hair. As she kissed his belly button, his eyes shot open, and he realized what they were doing. He gently pushed her off of him, and she looked at him with annoyance lighting up her cerulean eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" She snapped.

"Woman, we can't...Not like this. It's not right. I'm not...into you like that," he lied. "I don't want you to get attached, or something. Let's just focus on finding the Dragon Balls, okay?"

"What's your deal, bud?"

"I have no deal, I just don't believe getting sexually involved with you would be good, considering the mission we're on at the moment. I don't need any distractions."

"Oh, so I'm just a distraction to you? That's all? I can't believe I was so _stupid_!" She got up to run to the lab. Her work was the only thing that would make her feel better in that moment.

"Bulma!" He yelled, following her out of the room. He caught up to her and forced her to look at him. "It's your birthday. Let's do something."

"Wow, do you really think I'm gonna do something with you? Get your ugly mug out of my face!" She then proceeded to burst out laughing at her insult causing Vegeta to roll his eyes at her, something that he had been doing quite frequently lately.

"Woman, shut _up_. I'll take you to dinner, if it'll stop your incessant whining about my rudeness, or whatever. Be ready for eight. And, not any later than that!" He glared at her for a little bit too long before turning abruptly on his heel and returning to his training. He was hoping he could spend the day dealing with his feelings for the woman, and then, after dinner, they could go to a club in the nearby town, and then he could make out with some random girl to ensure that his feelings for Bulma were completely terminated.

Bulma hmph'd angrily at the retreating Vegeta and made her way back into the tech lab. She was almost done with the radar, as it turned out. It ended up taking much less time than she had expected. She just had to adjust a few wires here and there and insert the front panel, and it would be complete. Her work would be complete in a few hours' time. And, with this tool, she would see if the Dragon Balls truly existed or not. Nothing would show up on the screen when she turned the radar on if they didn't exist. She found herself truly hoping that they did exist, for Vegeta's sake. He didn't admit to much emotion, but she knew in her heart how much he missed his mother and what he would change about his behavior if he could see her again.

A few hours later, Bulma adjusted the front panel and placed the cover of the radar into its position and then pressed the 'on' button. The screen blinked for a few moments, and then, to her delight, the words "Locating nearby Dragon Balls, please wait" appeared on the screen. Then, a blinking dot appeared, showing that the closest Dragon Ball was near the base of Mount Fuji. That was a good two hours drive from where they were at the moment, but it didn't matter at all. The Dragon Balls existed! They could bring back Mrs. Ryuu! Bulma couldn't believe that such an old myth and legend was actually true, and her genius mind was the one to bring light to the new revelation.

She grabbed the radar quickly and sprinted to the training room, thrusting it in Vegeta's hands when she saw him. He looked down on it and for a moment, his eyes showed emotion, as they widened with excitement and hope. He looked at Bulma and studied her face.

"Congratulations, woman, you've finally done something useful," he celebrated monotonously, giving her his usual smirk.

She smacked him on the arm.

"Fine," he continued quickly. "Thank you."

"I can't believe you just thanked someone for something, bud. I should honestly go alert the media, I don't think this'll ever happen again."

"We'll leave tomorrow afternoon. Do you have clothes here?" Bulma nodded. "Okay, bring some. Don't bring too many though, I don't need to bother with your heavy luggage. But, I don't know how long we'll be gone."

"Got it!"

"Okay, go get ready, it's almost eight. And, try to look like someone worthy to be in my presence."

Bulma groaned before retreating to her bedroom.

* * *

Bulma and Vegeta had just finished dinner at a local Italian restaurant, and he had bought her a cupcake and all the waiters had sang "Happy Birthday" for her. They were now en route to the only club in the town that was closest to Dr. Briefs' secret lab in the mountains. Each had agreed that they would give each other their space while they partied in the club, as they would be spending a lot of time together for the next week or so. Too much time, as Vegeta had phrased it. However, despite their bickering, their dinner together had been lovely, for their standards, and their waiter even thought that they were a couple.

They entered the club that was blaring loud music and headed over to the bar. Vegeta handed Bulma a glass of birthday champagne, and she gently swayed to beat. They sat in silence and both inspected the people that sat or danced around them. Vegeta spied a black haired girl dancing on the corner of the dance floor and motioned to Bulma that he would see her later. As she saw him walk towards the unknown girl, she felt a pang of jealousy. She knew he was just honoring their deal, but she liked spending time with him, if she were honest with herself. The idea of spending the next week alone with him did not bother her at all. But, by his suggestion to spend that night separately, Bulma concluded that her presence must indeed bother him, and she could not help but let her sadness get the better of her. She turned around to order another glass of champagne but was interrupted by a tall man with piercing green eyes.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked her and smiled at her kindly. She grinned back at him.

"One glass of champagne?"

"Of course," he replied. He turned to the bartender, "One glass of champagne for the beautiful lady." The bartender groaned to himself and poured Bulma another glass of the bubbly liquid. He handed it to her, and she thanked him.

"What's your name?" He asked her, sitting down on the stool next to hers. She looked him over some more, noticing that he was extremely attractive. He had tousled, dark brown hair and blindingly white toothed smile. By looking in his eyes, Bulma could tell he had a good heart and that was all she could really ask for in a person.

"Bulma, and yours?"

"Daiki, but everyone just calls me Dai."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Dai. Thanks for the champagne."

"No problem, Bulma. Now, any reason you look so beautiful tonight, or is this just a regular thing?"

Bulma laughed at his corniness. "It's my birthday actually!"

"Oh, wow! Happy birthday!"

They continued talking for about an hour. Bulma really liked Dai, as their conversation progressed. He was lighthearted and easy to talk to, all that Vegeta wasn't. He made her laugh and feel good about herself. And, after about two hours of conversing and drinking more champagne, Bulma found herself agreeing to step outside with him, which could only mean one thing. Little did she know, Vegeta had ditched the black haired girl from earlier and was watching Bulma from a distance, telling himself it was only to make sure she didn't get into trouble but knew at heart it was because he was jealous of this character with the green eyes who kept buying his woman champagne. _The _woman, not _my_ woman, Vegeta reminded himself. As he saw Dai and Bulma get up to leave the club, his heart rate increased dramatically. Where could they possibly be going? It wasn't even that loud in the club, and they had been talking for a while now, so their departure wasn't for the benefit of their conversation. She wouldn't with this idiot, would she? She couldn't.

"You're just one of a kind, Bulma. I've never met someone even close to as smart or awesome as you are," Dai told her, looking down on the beautiful, blue haired girl. She blushed and pushed his shoulder jokingly.

"Oh, stop, you're too nice to me, Dai," she said, laughing. He grabbed onto her arm and pulled her closer to him and kissed her. She was surprised initially but found herself enjoying the embrace. Like his personality, his kisses were easy with no strings attached. Bulma knew, while she had fun getting to know Dai, that she would not miss him tomorrow, and that was a comforting thought. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her more into him, before hearing a shout come from behind him.

Vegeta yanked Dai away from Bulma's embrace and punched him directly in the nose, causing him to fall onto the ground. He then proceeded to kick Dai's side, and the blood from his nose spread all over his face. Vegeta then kneeled down and grabbed Dai by his tie, pulling him up slightly. "Stay _away _from her," he said through his teeth.

Bulma freaked out and grabbed Vegeta's arm and hauled him up. She slapped him across the face twice as hard as she had smacked him earlier that day. "What in Kami's name are you doing, Vegeta?!" He removed his arm from her grasp and turned to walk towards his car.

"Let's go, woman," he said quietly.

"No! I'm not leaving him like this, and I'm most definitely not going anywhere near you. Are you fucking insane? Why the hell would you do that?! I don't wanna be near you...you...you psychopath!" She turned away from him and tried to help Dai up, who was still suffering due to his bleeding nose. She got him to sit up on a nearby bench, and he looked at her exasperatedly.

"Is that your boyfriend or something?" He asked her, wiping his nose with his sleeve, not caring that it was entirely red at this point.

Bulma shook her head. "No...He's not my boyfriend. He just gets a little possessive sometimes. I'm sorry I dragged you into this..."

"It's fine, Bulma."

"Are you gonna be okay? I think I need to...head out now. Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

"I'll be fine. Go deal with your boyfriend."

"He's not my-"

"I heard you the first time."

She looked at him one last time and gave him a kiss on the cheek before returning to Vegeta, who looked as though he was about to blow up the entire planet.

They rode in silence all the way back to the lab. When they finally reached the lab, Bulma slammed the car door and sped walked to her room immediately, not giving Vegeta the satisfaction of another moment of her time. Just as she was about to slam the door, she heard his raspy voice from behind her.

"I don't understand you, woman!"

Bulma whipped around and looked at him with as much hate as she could muster. "You don't understand _me_? Are you a fucking joke? You tell me earlier that you don't want to do anything with me because you're not into me, or whatever, and then the moment I show interest in another guy, you beat them up! I can't even began to tell you how fucking MAD I AM! I THINK YOU'RE ACTUALLY INSANE!"

"FUCK OFF, WOMAN. I HAD MY REASONS."

"OH, PLEASE," Bulma continued yelling, putting her hands in her hair to show off all her frustrations. They had taken a few considerable steps closer to each other at this point. "_PLEASE_, ENLIGHTEN ME. WHAT ARE THESE SO CALLED REASONS?"

Vegeta kissed her, sliding his tongue easily into her mouth, shutting up her yelling. She reciprocated with so much force, ripping his suit jacket and button down off, kissing, licking, and biting his muscular chest. She buried her face into his neck and kissed him there. He yanked her head back and kissed down her throat, stopping at the peak of her left breast. He pulled off her little black dress with ease and paused for a moment to examine the beauty of her body. He wanted her so badly he couldn't even breathe. He undressed her completely and attacked her nipples, licking, sucking, and kneading them expertly, making her thrash and moan with delight. She undid his belt and felt him grow at her touch, when she placed her hand on his underwear. She tore them off and let him stretch to his full size. He found her entrance and thrust inside her, and she dug her nails into his toned back.

It would be a long night.

* * *

Wow, okay, so chapter six is done! This one was a little bit heated, sorry to anyone who wasn't expecting such explicit language. Next time: they leave for Mount Fuji to find the first Dragon Ball, and there is a lot of tension! Please keep reviewing! Love you guys!


	7. Chapter 7

Vegeta kept his eyes on the isolated road ahead of him, using all his will power not to keep side glancing at the beautiful woman sleeping soundly next to him. They had most definitely had an awkward morning, earlier that day, for the previous night they had...rattled the bedframes, to say the least. Yesterday night had been the most lustful and passionate experience he had ever had. He had wanted her so badly, for the past two years, and his yearn had only grown with time. To finally have her be his, even if only for one night, was euphoric. However, the next morning when they awoke, his arms were completely wrapped around her small waist, holding her as tightly to him as possible. She had quietly cleared her throat, waking him and had asked him to move so that she could prepare for their journey to Mount Fuji. Vegeta did not understand how his body could do that to him. He did not _cuddle_. Cuddling was for the weak and the needy. He couldn't let himself need the woman. When you need someone, when you're dependent on someone, it makes you vulnerable, and there's nothing worse than that. He figured he'd have about an hour and a half left on his drive to figure out how to abandon his feelings for the woman. It shouldn't be that hard, he concluded. Just distract yourself with try mission ahead.

He figured when they got to the base of Mount Fuji, they would use Bulma's radar to track the Dragon Ball to about a five meter radius, and after that, it shouldn't be that hard to find them. Could really no one else be looking for them? Although they were a myth, so to speak, a substantial amount of evidence showed that the Dragon Balls did indeed exist. He and the woman could not be the only people on earth with enough brain and hope to try and find them, the odds of that were basically impossible. Then, he realized that the other people who were searching, if they existed, would probably be a danger to him. He would certainly be a danger to anyone who tried to cross his path. He allowed himself one more glance at Bulma, and then it occurred to him that whoever was also on the Dragon Ball trail would be a danger to not only him but her, as well. He couldn't let that happen. He had caused her too much pain in her life and she had helped him too many times for him to let her get hurt, on his watch at least. While helping him, yet again, when she had every reason to slam the door in his face. That would be the only reason I can't let her get hurt though, he agreed with himself. If it weren't my fault she's in this situation, I could care less what happened to her, he deluded himself into thinking.

The car went over a slightly large bump in the road, causing Bulma to wake up. "Oh, hi. Sorry I must've dozed off."

"Yes, your snoring clued me in on that," he retorted, not looking at her for he knew he would smile or show some emotion if he did. She looked quite spectacular whenever she had just woken up; there was always so much wonder in her eyes, as though she were seeing the world for the first time.

"Whatever, bud," she said, laughing to herself. She loved bothering Vegeta, he was so easy to annoy.

"We should be arriving in about an hour and fifteen minutes, so I hope you fall asleep again so we don't have to _chat _or something. That would be the worst."

"Really? Would that be the worst? You didn't seem to find my company that terrible last night," she teased, taking his hand and squeezing it. He flinched and yanked it away from her.

"That was a mistake."

Bulma's eyes shot to the ground. How could he say that it was a mistake? He had completely initiated it himself and seemed so passionate and loving towards her in every moment. Even after they were finished, after the forth time they were finished, she reminded herself and snorted, he had held her tightly to him and kissed her softly. _And_, earlier that day he had said that dating her had been the best decision of his life. How could he possibly say that it had been a mistake? She didn't want to believe him, but something in the way he looked so stone coldly at the road and the way he had avoided her like the plague the following morning made her believe that, to him at least, the events of the previous night had indeed been a mistake. She couldn't hold it in any longer, she had to know.

"Is that really how you feel?" She asked sadly, trying to conceal her emotion but failing.

"Yes, woman. It meant nothing, it was stupid and reckless. I guess I was just horny. Do you not share my sentiments?"

"Well, I mean...I guess you're right. It was a mistake. We shouldn't be involved that way, I've really gotta stop deluding myself into thinking you could ever care about me again," she laughed pitifully at herself, wondering why she was being so pathetic. She shook her head, telling herself that she was Bulma Briefs, heiress to Capsule Corporation, genius. No one used her without having good intentions. She would not allow it. "You know what, Vegeta? I loved being with you last night. I loved every _fucking _minute of it, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Unlike you, I am confident enough to admit that I LIKE YOU. I FUCKING LIKE YOU. AND, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I DO. AND, I'M NOT GONNA RUN FROM MY FEELINGS, SO THAT'S WHY I'M TELLING YOU." She calmed down slightly before continuing, all the while, Vegeta kept his eyes glued on the road. "That doesn't mean I want a relationship with you, that doesn't mean I ever want to have sex with you again, but you are special to me in a way that no one else could ever be. But, nobody, I repeat, _nobody _treats me like shit and gets away with it. I don't care if you don't have feelings for me, but don't lie to my fucking face and tell me that last night was a mistake and that it meant nothing to you. If you can't admit that, then I'm just gonna go. Because I'd be an idiot if I stayed here thinking that you're worth one more second of my time."

She took a deep breath and looked away. It was up to him now.

"Last night did not mean nothing to me," he said finally, in a defeated voice. "Are you satisfied?"

She turned back to him and stared blankly, nodding and knowing she couldn't ask for anything more. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to help him, so she figured she'd just have to deal with his attitude and bite down on her feelings. She learned her head against the window, hoping the drive would lull her into sleep again.

* * *

When Bulma awoke, her eyes opened to yet another unfamiliar ceiling. She sat up immediately and was disappointed to not find Vegeta in the room. She assumed they were in a hotel or something and scanned the room for her purse. She spotted it on the dresser and walked over to check her phone, hoping Vegeta had left her some information regarding his whereabouts.

VEGETA: Got the radar, looking for the first one, call me if your lazy ass ever wakes up.

She rolled her eyes and clicked on his name to call him.

"Woman, we have a little bit of a problem," Vegeta stated immediately, picking up on the first ring.

"What happened?! You know what, where are you? I'll come meet you," she replied, running her fingers through her colorful hair. She quickly grabbed her bag and rummaged around for a jacket, it was considerably colder in the more mountainous areas.

"I'm in the town square. Just walk out of the hotel, turn right, and keep going for five minutes or so. You won't miss me." He hung up before she could say another word.

Bulma exited the small hotel they were staying in and noted to herself that it was very cute and bed and breakfast-esque. She smiled to herself when she realized Vegeta must have carried her in the room from the car and started laughing at the thought of how stupid he must've looked holding a fully grown woman in his arms as he spoke with the concierge. Night had fallen at this point, so Bulma squinted as she made her way toward the town square, for the town was poorly lit. It seemed to be a quiet place with only a few restaurants and shops. She liked quaint places sometimes, not to live in but to visit. They were quite humbling.

She finally saw Vegeta leaning against a street lamp with a worried expression as he stared off into the night. She wondered what the problem could be, as she walked up to him.

* * *

Chi-Chi rang the doorbell and felt waves of nervousness undulate inside her. She was over at Goku's as he had promised that he would cook her dinner. She had no idea what was going to happen that night, all she knew was that she had hoped for a date with Goku Son since she was about eight or nine years old, and she couldn't believe he had finally noticed her. She adjusted the apple pie in her hands and tried to look cute for when he opened the door.

"Chi-Chi! Hey!" Goku said as he opened the door. He smiled at the pie in her hands, and his stomach grumbled hungrily. She stepped inside his house and smiled at all the picture of baby Goku on the walls.

"So...I tried to make dinner, and it kind of burned..." He scratched the back of his head in the oh so Goku way and grinned at her apologetically.

"Oh, Goku," Chi-Chi said, chuckling. She placed the apple pie on a table, which also supported a burnt chicken and some seriously over cooked noodles. "We could just eat the pie, if you want."

"Yeah! That'd be great!"

He cut a slice for the both of them and walked into the living room, leaving the plates on the coffee table and sitting down on a couch. He padded the cushion next to him, and Chi-Chi sat down, blushing as usual.

"Tell me about you," he offered.

"Okay...What do you wanna know?"

"Something weird. Like, something that no one else knows."

"Uh...Hmmm...No one's ever asked me that before, haha. You go first, I can't think of anything," she replied.

Goku thought to himself for a few moments. Something no one else knew..."Vegeta's my best friend."

Chi-Chi looked at him with wide eyes. She hadn't been expecting that one. "Really? Well, I mean, I knew that. Everyone knows that!"

Goku looked down and shrugged. "Yeah, but no one really knows. Like...He's my _best_ friend. He's always there for me. I know he doesn't _seem _like the nicest guy or whatever. Well, he's not. But, he's the best guy I know. He'll always been around to challenge me, make me better, make me grow. He's my best friend."

"Bulma's my best friend."

"Haha, why? Not that she's isn't great, but like, from your perspective, why?"

"She's so fiercely loyal. I've never seen someone so ready to yell at anyone who crosses me. It's really...comforting to know she's in my life. Like, I just know I'm never alone. I really trust that she'll always be by my side, if I need her."

"That's how I feel about Vegeta!" Goku began laughing. "He can be a real dick sometimes, believe me I know, but he always has my back, no matter how stupid I'm being."

Chi-Chi looked at the black haired boy, and her heart hurt. She had never encountered anyone with so much compassion and selflessness. They continued talking about everything: their favorite TV shows, their favorite bands, favorite foods, what they liked to do in their spare time, where they wanted to go to college.

"You can make molten chocolate cake? I might have to marry you, Chi," Goku said, looking the beautiful girl in her wide eyes and suddenly blushing at his own words. She giggled and turned away, suddenly finding a thread on her skirt very interesting. Goku touched her chin gently and slowly rotated her head so that she faced him again.

"You're amazing," he said quietly before leaning in to kiss her. She felt all the weight and nervousness she had felt from earlier suddenly lift away, and then it was just them together. As though no one else were in the world. It was a perfect moment, and Chi-Chi made sure it didn't go to waste.

* * *

"So, you think it's is in there?" Bulma pointed to a dimly lit bar about ten feet away from them.

Vegeta nodded. "I was worried this would happen."

"What?"

"That we wouldn't be the only people looking."

Bulma nodded her head understandingly. She rose from the bench she had been occupying for the past twenty minutes or so and motioned that they should enter the bar, to see if Vegeta's speculations were true. "Maybe they don't know what it is, maybe they'll just give it to us or we pay them, or something. We could at least try."

Vegeta thought it over. The woman had a point. Perhaps, whoever had found it, had just thought that the Dragon Ball was beautiful and wanted to keep it for decoration purposes. There was no reason for them to understand the actual power. "Okay, we'll go in, if we see it, _you _comment all girly-like and say something about how beautiful it is, don't shut up about how nice you think it is and how you want it, I'll finally give in and say something to the owner regarding if I can buy it from them, I'll say you're my girlfriend or something, and we'll see where it goes from there. Do you understand, woman? I can't have you messing this up for me."

"This was my idea, bud. Shut up, and let's go." Bulma began trudging over to the entrance to the bar, taking a deep breath in order to keep her cool.

As they entered the warm establishment, her cerulean eyes immediately began scanning the room for something that resembled all her research's take on the appearance of a Dragon Ball. Sort of an orange orb...perhaps with stars on it...She looked at each of the tables, thinking it could be a center piece. She scanned across the bar tables, maybe it could be there. Her eyes shot wide open when she saw it. It was in the center of the giant liquor cabinet, on a pedestal. It was about the size of a softball, it was orange, just as her books had said, and there were two stars on it. She tapped Vegeta's shoulder and pointed with her chin to the orange orb nestled behind the bar counter. He raised his thick eyebrows for a moment, just a split second, and then began walking over to the counter.

He sat down on a stool and pulled out another for Bulma. "Two beers, your local brand will do," he barked at the bartender gruffly. He pinched Bulma's side as if to tell her to start her part of the act. She began looking all over the the liquor cabinet, as though just examining because had nothing better to do and then widened her gaze when her eyes fell on the Dragon Ball. She turned to Vegeta and pointed at it, as the oblivious bartender placed their drinks before them.

"It's _so _beautiful! What is that, babe?" She snickered to herself as she called Vegeta 'babe'. He might _look_ like a babe, but she was pretty sure if anyone else called him that, he would give them a one way ticket to the Other World.

"Not sure. It is very pretty, though," he replied nonchalantly, taking a gulp of his beer.

"It's so pretty, though. I want it!" Bulma whined in her best spoiled-child voice.

"Babe," Vegeta retorted, trying to conceal his laughter, "you can't. It's not ours to have."

Bulma looked at his and curled her lip to exhibit her sadness. "Please! I think it'd look so beautiful in our home."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned to the bartender. "Hey, you don't think you could sell that to us, could you?" He pointed at the Dragon Ball, and the bartender looked at him funnily.

"Um, no idea. I can go get the manager, if you want..." he replied, hoping that these two strange people would not push the topic. To his annoyance, they nodded eagerly.

The manager, Bulma and Vegeta assumed, came out of the back and walked towards the pair. "What can I do for you two?"

"Hi! I'm Bulma, I was just looking at that beautiful sculpture over there," she jerked her head in the direction of the Dragon Ball, "and I was wondering if I could buy it from you. It's striking! I think it would look great in my dining room." Bulma laughed nervously as the expression on the manager's face did not change from being completely placid.

"No, sorry, can't help you there. Enjoy your night," he replied, turning to walk back to his office.

"Sir, I will pay you for it. As much as you want," Vegeta argued, causing the manager to turn back around.

The man squinted his eyes at the two. This was quite odd behavior. Why were they so keen on acquiring his grandpa's last present to him? He _had _always said that the artifact was special in someway, but the manager had just figured it was total bogus. It was a glass ball, for crying out loud. But, then these two were so adamant in buying it from him, and he pondered if his grandpa had perhaps been right.

"Look, I don't know what your deal is, but you're not buying that from. Now, get out," he said angrily, all of a sudden. He better get rid of them before they could take it without him noticing.

Vegeta opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it and grabbed Bulma's arm, pulling her out of the bar. Once outside, he looked up at the sky, which was full of stars that night, and sighed. They had been so close to really getting somewhere. It was only natural that it would of course all come crashing down. He wouldn't give up though, he would be back the next day, and the next day; he would do whatever it took to get the Dragon Ball from that man. He hoped he would not have get into any physical trouble, for he had gotten in enough trouble with the law, what with his frequent fights with strangers and such.

Bulma stroked his arm kindly, and he shrugged her off. He didn't need the woman right now, she was just a nuisance. All she was going to be on their journey was something he'd be forced to protect and keep an eye on. He didn't know why he didn't let her leave earlier, it would make everything so much easier.

"Woman, I don't think you should be here. Go home," he said monotonously. He knew at heart he didn't _want _to be without her, but it was the only way he knew how to keep her safe.

"I'm not going anywhere. I know what you're trying to do. Don't bother. I'm here, and you can't get rid of me, so stop trying."

He spun her around so that she was facing him. They were the only people in the town square at that point, yet he'd never felt less alone in his life. He truly believed every word she had said, and it comforted him significantly. He gently lowered his head and kissed her soft lips, and he wrapped his arms around her waist for a brief moment, squeezing her, letting her know through his body that he appreciated her.

When he pulled away, he looked into her eyes and spoke, "That was the last time. I just wanted to say thank you." And, he turned away and sped off into the hotel, once again leaving a confused Bulma alone.

* * *

Vegeta lay on the bed, fast asleep. He had had a long day of driving and arguing, finally coming so close to what he so desperately wanted and being turned away. Bulma knew he was going to try again tomorrow, but something about the way the manager had looked at them so suspiciously made her fear that he would make their search considerably harder. She sat down on the bed next to him and slowly traced his cheekbone with her finger, hoping his dreams were sound. She knew what she had to do. She grabbed her coat and headed out the door.

When she reached the bar's entrance, she noticed it was closed. "It's 12:30, in what world does a bar close at 12:30?" She mumbled to herself, reaching into her pockets hoping she could find something to pick the lock with. Thankfully, she found a bobby pin in the depths of jeans' pocket and fumbled with it to open the door. It worked, and she stepped inside the now dark establishment.

Instead of turning on the light and drawing attention to herself, Bulma used her phone as a light to try and find the Dragon Ball. She beamed it onto the liquor cabinet first but was not surprised when she found that it was gone. She reached into her purse to extract the radar, in order to see if its location had drastically changed, but to her surprise, it still said that the Dragon Ball was in the bar, somewhere.

She then remembered how when the manager had come to speak with them, he had come from a back room or office or something and decided to check there. Once inside, she tiptoed around, checking all the drawers and closets, but there was no sign of it. She sat in his desk chair defeatedly and rested her elbow on the desk, thinking about any other place it could be. Then, to her alarm, when she applied pressure to the desk at a specific point, it popped open, revealing a secret compartment, which inside nestled the Dragon Ball. Bulma almost squealed with joy but caught herself before anyone else caught her. She quickly snatched the Dragon Ball, placed it in her purse, and closed the compartment, readying herself to leave. She thought it would be best to wake Vegeta the minute she returned to the hotel, so that they could get out of there and avoid any uncomfortable confrontation with the owner of the bar.

To her horror, she heard someone speak from behind her before she got a chance to leave. "Where do you think you're going?"

* * *

Ooooooo, what a rough ending! Sorry I've been taking so long with the chapters. School is staring soon :(. Next time: what is Bulma's fate! And, will they get Dragon Ball number one? Also, sorry if this chap. was kind of boring, I promise I'm building you up for something big!

Also, please keep reviewing, so I know you guys still want to hear the story!

Thanks, lots of love :)


	8. Chapter 8

Vegeta wrestled around in bed. He was having a nightmare. An unknown man was hurting Bulma, and he was paralyzed to do anything about it. Literally paralyzed, though, he could not move any part of his body. He was kicking and rolling all over the sheets, and then he kicked a glass off the bedside table. The shatter caused him to awake, and he abruptly sat up, disoriented for a few moments. His perfect vision set in, and he surveyed the room, causing him to realize that Bulma was not there. He peered at the bathroom door, but there was no light on. She could not have gone there. He snatched his phone from his pants' pocket and glared at the screen, hoping she had left him a message regarding her whereabouts. He growled into the darkness when he found that she had not said anything. Was she really that stupid to go snooping around without even telling him where she had gone? Another thing struck him. His nightmare. He sensed Bulma's fear or Bulma's pain, he couldn't differentiate the two. It wasn't possible, obviously. One, what trouble could she possibly get into in such a small town. Two, it was not humanely possible to sense another's emotions or feelings. He lay back down trying to get some shut eye before heading down to the bar and claiming the Dragon Ball to be his, but it was no use. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Bulma.

He grabbed his jacket from the dresser and headed out the front door of the hotel, looking both left and right for any sign of the woman. There was none. And, then it occurred to him. She had gone back to the bar to steal the Dragon Ball. He raced for the quaint establishment and confirmed his suspicions when he saw that the door was left ajar. He entered and looked around for the woman. He heard some rustling noises come from the back part of the bar but shrugged it off, thinking it might just be cleaners or something. Where could she possibly be? Then, he heard a gun fire and cut off scream come from the back room, and he bolted over there and flung the door open.

The first thing he saw was the manager from earlier standing over a limp, fallen body, holding what seemed like a small gun in one hand pointed at the body. His eyes moved to the fallen body, and he froze when he realized who it was. Bulma lay, seemingly lifelessly, on the floor before him, all because of this man standing there. All because she was trying to help _him_. A rage that he had never felt before in all his life came over him, and he grabbed the man by his neck, taking him by surprise.

"What is your name?" Vegeta inquired, making sure to spit on the man's face with every syllable. He tightened his grasp on the man's neck, enjoying the way his hand caused his eyes to bulge.

"Doctor...Gero..." he managed to cough out between breaths. Vegeta increased the tightness of his grasp menacingly.

"What did you do to her?"

"I...She...the ball...I..." Vegeta released his hold slightly. "I shot her with a bullet that contained some poison. I don't know if it's lethal."

Vegeta contemplated either screaming at him or taking a calm approach. First, he punched Dr. Gero so hard in the face he went flying into desk. "You don't know...hmmm..." Vegeta grabbed the gun that was now on the floor and without so much as feeling one twinge of sympathy, he shot him, in his chest, in his leg, in his arm, and in his neck. He fell helplessly to the floor, and Vegeta kicked so that he went flying in the air again. Allowing his rage to die down, suddenly, he realized Bulma's medical condition. He scooped her up in one arm and scanned the room for the Dragon Ball. He saw her purse and noticed it had a circular bulge; he reached in and extracted the ball from earlier that evening.

He knew Dr. Gero would probably be given help by the morning, and that he would survive. And, Vegeta could not risk being chased by the police at this point. There would be too many questions to answer. He grabbed a pen and a paper and quickly jotted down a note and stuffed it in the unconscious man's pocket. He prayed to Kami it would make his message clear. He swung Bulma's purse over his shoulder and ran out of the bar, cradling her to his chest.

He raced towards the car that was parked in front of their hotel, he put Bulma in the front seat and her head flopped to lean against the window, and he ran inside the hotel lobby.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" He demanded of the tired looking worker that was manning the front desk at that hour.

"Um...The nearest hospital?"

"Hurry up, you clown. This is serious!"_  
_

"Sorry, just get on the highway. Do you know how to do that?"

Vegeta nodded and motioned for him to hurry up. This man was striking his last nerve.

"Okay, then take Exit 13. You won't miss it from there, it'll be the giant white building on the right."

Vegeta did not so much as say thank you. He sprinted back to Bulma and sped all the way to the hospital. They were there within mere minutes.

* * *

He sat staring at the blue haired girl, wondering why she had such a strong hold on his heart. She looked so at peace, yet so lifeless. He so wanted her to be yelling at him right now, for something unimportant. He wanted to see her eyes flicker open and stare at him, with rage sparking in her pupils. He just wanted her to be alive. And, that was something the doctors had not promised him.

He couldn't believe what they had just been through. He remembered, just a month ago, when he saw Bulma in the halls, with that idiot boy whose name he could never remember, he would not say anything, he'd growl and turn away. But, he'd never say anything, for they hadn't spoken in years. And, suddenly, here he sat, waiting for her to wake up, ready to do just about anything to ensure her survival.

Figuring now was just about the best time to show some real emotion, he grabbed her small, weak hand and cradled it to his chest. When he placed his lips onto one of her knuckles, a memory popped into his head.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

"Vegeta, we _have_ to go," Bulma whined, slipping off a long gown and changing into some shorts and a shirt before emerging from her large bathroom. She saw the spiky haired boy she loved so dearly sitting cross legged on her bed with his eyes closed. Probably because he doesn't want me to see him roll his eyes, she thought to herself and chuckled. She sat down next to him and tugged on his earlobe childishly. "I know it's not your style, but it'll be fun! All your friends'll be there!"

"Your friends," he corrected her without opening his eyes.

"Please," she droned on. "I need you to be my date. Or, do you want me to ask someone else?" She snickered mischievously.

Vegeta's eyes fluttered open as they adjusted to the light of her room. "Woman, you are mine." He looked at her simply, waiting for her to react.

"You're right about that," she replied, sighing. She leaned in to kiss him, but he placed his palm on her cheek, gently pushing her away.

"I will do this," he said formally.

"Come with me to the party? Are you for real? Oh my Kami!" Bulma did not contain her passion anymore and kissed her man deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck, thanking him. "I love you, Vegeta."

Vegeta smirked and then stood up. The blue haired girl looked at him with confusion sparkling in her beautiful eyes. He extended his hand, gesturing for her to place her hand in his. She did as told, and he kissed one of her knuckles, his onyx eyes never leaving her cerulean ones. "Dance with me, woman."

* * *

A single tear trickled down Vegeta's stone cold face, and he immediately wiped it. Why was she doing this to him? He never cried. Forget crying, he never showed emotion. He shouldn't care whether she lived or died, she was just a convenience to him, an asset that he needed to keep around. He knew he was lying to himself, but he couldn't let himself need her. He couldn't become vulnerable. He had already experienced the pain and heartbreak of needing someone and then their leaving you; it was something he did not care to feel ever again. His mother had promised that she would always be there to fix him when he got hurt, to laugh with him when he was sad, and she left him. And, every day after that, it was as though a huge weight hung on his heart, making it harder and harder for him to go on. He could not let Bulma know the way he felt, he could not even admit to himself the way he felt, because if she left him...He didn't know if he could survive that.

Trying to distract himself, he ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed the closest magazine to him. This wasn't a very effective plan, for Bulma's favorite singer was plastered across the front cover. He threw it on the floor and rose from his chair, pacing around the room. A nurse passing by the door noticed his erratic behavior and knocked on the door softly. He whipped his head in her direction and glared.

"Sorry to be bother you. You look really scared or anxious or something, though. Are you okay?" She asked kindly, taking his silence as an invitation to enter the room. She held a clipboard tightly to her chest, and her eyes were a warm brown color.

"What's it to you, girl? Leave me alone," he snapped, not knowing where exactly his rage was coming from. Usually he wasn't that rude to attractive women, but lately, he didn't even notice their attractiveness. All he saw this girl for was a distraction from his worrying and concern for Bulma, and he wanted her to leave. Immediately. "Why are you still standing there?" He pressed. "Get out!"

The nurse shook her head. She looked over the clipboard that she had been holding, and her eyes widened. "Looks like your girlfriend's state hasn't changed...Sorry about that. I'll come back if the doctors find out anything new or something changes."

Why he didn't bother to correct her, he didn't know, but he relaxed slightly as he saw the girl turn around and leave the room, leaving him alone with the woman again. He sat back down on the chair by her bedside, grabbing her hand again and holding it tightly, wishing with all his might to Kami that she would wake up, that she would be safe once again. He hated himself for putting her in harms way.

Suddenly realizing that he hadn't alerted her family about her situation, he grabbed her phone. When he unlocked it, knowing her passcode was her birthday, the screen opened to her texts with Chi-Chi. He was about to close them at once, not really caring and not wanting to invade her privacy, but one message caught his eye.

BULMA: Chi, what's wrong with me? I'm falling for him again...

Him? He thought to himself. Who was she referring to? The message was sent about a week ago with no reply from Chi-Chi. He suddenly felt himself getting tense. He let the thought wander into his mind. Maybe she was talking about him. But, there was no way of him knowing that, he could never ask, that was for sure. And, she'd never have feelings for him again, after what he did. She _told _him that, even. She couldn't be talking about him. He swallowed hard on the sadness that was slowly consuming his body and resumed what he was doing, before the message interrupted her train of thought.

He pressed the number labeled as "Home" on her contact list, it rang a few times, but there was no answer. He figured he would call again later. He realized he was getting tired, and he leaned back in the chair, hoping sleep would be the answer to his confusion and depression.

* * *

Vegeta opened his eyes slowly when he heard the sound of murmured voices talking in the room. He shut his eyes quickly, hoping that he could catch something about how Bulma was really doing. He knew the doctors would never tell unless they realized what was wrong with was terminal, or something.

"She's in a coma. I really don't know if she's going to make it," he heard a male say.

Then, he heard a female speak. It sounded like the nurse from before. "Kami, are you sure? Is there any antidote we can give her or something?"

"No because we know so little about the poison that infected her body. I don't want to give her something that her body will reject and make it even worse. But, I'd say she's really lingering on the brink of life or death at this point."

Vegeta's eyes snapped open at that remark. He rose immediately and spoke, the doctors looked slightly stunned for a moment. "What's her chance of survival? Give me a percentage. Now."

"Uh..." the male doctor flipped through his notes and statistics quickly. "I'd say...not more than fifteen percent." Vegeta clenched his fists and his side, wanting blow up the entire hospital. He vowed he would find Dr. Gero and slaughter him, if this was the woman's fate. He wouldn't stop until he knew the misery and pain that Vegeta was feeling in that moment. "If she doesn't wake up within the next hour or so...I'd say there's not much else we can do. I'm sorry."

With that, the doctor motioned to the nurse to leave the room, giving Vegeta privacy with Bulma. The spiky haired boy didn't know what to do, what to say. He tried calling the Briefs again, but there was no answer. He paced around the room, shattering a flower vase while he was at it and pulling a fair bit of his hair out. He could not let this happen. He _would not _let this happen. He banged his fists on the table and suddenly, the tears came pouring out of his eyes. She was the one who had done everything she could to brighten his day when his world had become so dark. She had been there everyday with a smile on her face, ready to take whatever insult he could throw at her. She was with him now, despite everything he had done to hurt her, on a mission that would bring him happiness. She could not leave him. He knew he wouldn't be able to survive that loss, not without someone to take care of him. He would truly have no one, if she left him. He ran to her side but sat gently, taking her hands in his.

"Woman," he said, the tears still running down his cheeks. "Woman, I refuse to let you leave me. You're the _only _thing left on this earth that I care about. You've saved me so many times, more times than I care to admit, please let me save you, just this once. I don't think I'd even be alive at this point, if it weren't for you. My life was a wreck. _You_ gave it a purpose." He leaned down on his chest, his tears soaking her hospital sheets through. "You can't leave me. I won't let you. I'll do anything. Just wake up, okay? Just open your eyes. They're so beautiful, your eyes. I hope you know that. Wake up. Bulma, I _need _you. Just open your eyes and tell me I'm a jerk. Kami damn it, woman, I can't live without you..."

* * *

Ooofff...Sorry this chapter was a little bit short. Poor Bulma :( I hope she's okay. I don't know if she's going to survive that!

Next chapter: will Bulma wake up? Will Vegeta keep looking for the Dragon Balls..._alone_? Please keep reading, and _please _keep reviewing! I really like to know that you guys still wanna hear the story/when you don't like things/if you want to see certain stuff happen. Thank you so much! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Bulma wanted to open her eyes. She wanted to so badly. She wanted to throw her arms around the boy who was professing his feelings for her and tell him she cared about him too. That he was the only boy that she had ever felt _love _for. That nothing else could even compete with the way he made her feel. Why couldn't she open her eyes? She remembered reading somewhere that when people are in comas, sometimes, their senses can awaken, but they can't yet move their bodies. She wondered how long it would be. Or, if she would ever open her eyes again. If she were being honest, she just wished she could see Vegeta's face one more time. She felt a heavy weight against her chest and assumed it was he, his face was nestled in between her breasts. Any other time she would roll her eyes at him for taking that position, but at that moment, it was nice. And, although she couldn't move her body or her mouth to tell him how she felt, she appreciated the compassion and love he had been giving her for the past few hours.

After what seemed like days, although probably not more than a half hour or so, her attempts to open her eyes suddenly became easy. Her beautiful, cerulean orbs fluttered open, and everything appeared very blurry, coming into focus slowly. She blinked a few times, then moved her hand up towards her face, shakily, and weakly stroked her own cheek, wondering if this were really happening or not. She heard a sharp gasp come from the corner of the room, and he was next to her in less than a second. She smirked as she saw the relief flood his face, but it quickly disappeared as he regained control of his cool. Vegeta tried his best to suppress the urge to pick her weak body out of the hospital bed and squeeze her. He wanted to yell at her for scaring him so much. He wanted to kiss her. Wanted to feel her breathing in his ear, constantly securing him that she was alive. But, for some reason, he couldn't. And, all his pride would allow him to say was, "About time, woman." He abruptly left the room, running his hands through his hair, looking for the doctors. She felt all the happiness from before, from his kind words to her, suddenly leave her, and it finally set in that he would never change. That no matter what feelings he had for her, he would never be able to look her in the eyes and admit them. And, she could not let him string her along anymore. She sighed and lay back down on her pillows, staring up at the ceiling.

Suddenly, the medical staff came bustling into the room and checked her over. They ran blood tests on her and injected in her arm a medicine that would hopefully stabilize her system. The main doctor, Dr. Akiro, said, "She's going to be fine." He smiled at Bulma and then nodded at Vegeta. "Her vitals are normal...Whatever that poison was that she was injected with, it seems to have completely left her body, which is great news. If everything stays this way...I'd say she can be out of here by tomorrow night."

Bulma groaned to herself, she didn't want to be in here any longer. She had been thinking it over, and she had decided that, although Vegeta hadn't asked or said anything, she wanted to continue on the Dragon Ball search. She felt fine, she was enjoying his company, despite all the faults, and he really did need her help. She then wondered if she should tell him that she had heard him, when he had made his big speech to her about how much he cared about her. She wondered if maybe she brought it up, she could coax him into admitting true feelings for her, if they existed. "Vegeta...I...I have to tell you something." She brought up slowly, once the doctors had left the room.

"What?"

"I..." She paused and looked deeply into his onyx eyes. She knew he was not ready to come to terms with his feelings for her, if he had any. "I'm hungry!" She lied in a very obvious way but hoped that he wouldn't notice. "Can you get me some food?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. She had worried him. "Fine, woman, but only because you almost died." He snapped and got out of the chair, heading to the cafeteria to grab her a sandwich.

* * *

Goku rummaged around in a basket full of oranges, collecting about ten, as he was picking up some last minute things for dinner. Whenever he did the groceries, he returned with about 99% of the store. Saying he ate a lot would be an understatement. He had promised Chi-Chi that he would try to cook for her again, despite the earlier setback where he had almost burned his kitchen down. Thus, she was wary of his invitation, but finally agreed to give his "chef skills" a second chance. She would be over 7:30 and it was 4:30 now, so he had to hurry up his shopping. He only needed to get a few more things, some chicken breast and potatoes, and then he would be on his way. He headed over to the meat aisle and saw Mrs. Briefs there, picking up some steaks. He contemplated walking over to her to greet her, for he had only met her acquaintance a few times. Before he could reach a decision, she noticed him and waved him over. He walked up to her.

"Hi Mrs. Briefs!" He exclaimed warmly.

"Goku! Oh, I wasn't expecting to see you here! How are you?" She asked the flame haired boy kindly, pulling him in for a quick hug.

"I'm great, just running a few errands. How've you been?"

"Wonderful, dear. Dr. Briefs and I just got back from a short trip to the country side...I needed a vacation," she explained, laughing slightly. Goku chuckled. Mrs. Briefs was always so disorientated. "I'm just picking up some food on our way home. Hey...Why aren't you at the beach house with Bulma?"

Beach house? What was she talking about? He looked at her blankly for a few moments, and then it hit him. Bulma must have used this "beach house" as her cover up for wherever she had actually gone. Choosing to remain loyal to his new friend, he tried to talk himself out of the situation. "Oh! The beach house. Uh, my grandpa needed me to...come home and help him with...something. A small emergency, you know how it is," he lied badly. "I'm heading back out tomorrow morning! I'll say hi to Bulma for you."

Mrs. Briefs looked at him suspiciously, but after Goku flashed her one of his signature, innocent smiles, she thought nothing more of it. "Oh, I hope everything's okay!" Goku nodded to assure her. "Well, that's great, sweetie. Ah...I should get going. Dr. Briefs must be getting impatient. Have fun, dear! Give Bulma a hug from me!" She called over her shoulder as she walked to the check out area. Goku exhaled out of relief. That had been the first time he had really lied, and he did not like it one bit. He did know what he had to do now, though.

"Hey, tell everyone to meet at my house in, like, twenty minutes. Thanks," he said into his phone.

* * *

"So, Bulma's mom's under the impression that we're all at some beach house together?" Krillin reiterated for the umpteenth time. Everyone else in Goku's crowded bedroom groaned.

"_Yes_, Krillin, do you need someone to write it down for you?" 18 snapped, causing the bald headed teenager to blush and suddenly become very intrigued by his shoelace. He chanced a glance at her beautiful face and looked at her staggeringly cold yet striking blue eyes. He wondered how many secrets they hid. He wondered if he would ever be able to melt her icy heart.

"18, back off," Goku said, chuckling. He had recently learned of Krillin's supposed feelings for the blonde, and he didn't think that her yelling at the poor guy would be the best for his self esteem. "But, yeah. So, don't you guys see what this means?" Goku inquired of his friends, causing Chi-Chi to stand up and scream. A side he had not yet seen of the raven haired girl.

"Yes, _Goku_, I'm pretty sure we're all aware what this means, ya doof!" She yelled in his face but instantly felt awful when she saw her beautiful, innocent boy's expression go sour. "I'm sorry. That was rude. But, yes. _Clearly_ Bulma and Vegeta are up to something...I can't let her be alone with him for too long...I _know _she's going to fall for him again. Kami, I already know that! She messaged me about a week ago saying that she was falling for him! Goku, I can't let that happen. I know he's going to hurt her again, and I don't know if I can handle that again...You should have seen her the last time, she was completely broken." Chi-Chi progressively got quieter as her tirade proceeded. Goku came over to her and rubbed her shoulders consolingly.

"Chi's right," Krillin spoke up again, out of the blue. "B was a mess back then, those two years ago. We promised each other, me and Chi did, that we wouldn't let her go back down the Vegeta road again."

A thick silence suddenly clouded the room. And, all though no one said anything outloud, the entire group seemed to reflect back to the moment when Vegeta had humiliated Bulma. Yamcha remembered the mix of hatred and smugness that had crowded Vegeta's pupils. 18 recalled the shock on each person who had witnessed the event's faces and recalling how she had not thought even Vegeta could be so heartless. Chi-Chi thought back to how Bulma hadn't come to school for weeks, following the "incident" as it was thus forth named, how she barely ate anything, how the spark left her eyes and didn't really come back until she become more involved with Capsule Corporation. The void that Vegeta had left in her heart had been filled by science, it seemed. Bulma was always smiling when she was working on a new project. It was as though quantum physics was the bandaid to her broken heart, and that truth always amused Chi-Chi.

18 cut the silence with her stoic voice. "We need to find out where Bulma is. I don't really know what kind of person Vegeta is now, but I do know he's just about as unstable as a radioactive nucleus, and if what you say is true, if he is Bulma's weak spot, then I for one do not think leaving her with him is a good idea. At all. We need to figure out what's going on and bring her home." She paused and took a breath. "I'm with Krillin; I don't want her going down the Vegeta road again."

"I already called Vegeta, like, twenty times, on my way over here," Goku offered, taking a seat a his desk. Chi-Chi paced over the carpet before him, her mind racing to all possible conclusions, growing more and more worried with each tick of the clock. "Have any of you tried Bulma?"

Yamcha, Chi-Chi, and Krillin all nodded. "I got no reply," Yamcha admitted. "I called her a good ten times last night and another five earlier today."

"Well, obviously she wouldn't want to talk to you, you scumbag," Chi-Chi snapped and the scar faced eighteen year old with disgust. 18 snorted but waved her hands to alleviate the tension.

"Ok, everyone has their differences, but let's focus on this problem first, okay?" She argued and Chi-Chi agreed angrily, sitting down as far away from Yamcha as possible.

Krillin spoke up, "Chi and I called her also today, but she's not replying to us either. I don't think she will unless she wants to talk to us, so I think calling and getting her to admit her whereabouts is out of the question...unfortunately."

They all sat together for the next few hours, every now and then someone burst out with a new idea but was quickly shut down. It was becoming more and more obvious that the only way they would find out where their good friends had gone off to was if Vegeta sent them all personal invitations to join them. Just when the group was about to give up for the night, Chi-Chi's phone rang.

She picked up uncertainly, seeing an unfamiliar number on the screen. "Hello?"

"Is this the friend of Bulma? Chi...something?" Came a raspy voice from the other end. Vegeta.

"VEGETA!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, giving all her friends a wild look. "Where the hell are you two?! Give Bulma the phone, _NOW_!"

Vegeta, completely ignoring what the raven haired girl had said, replied, "The woman requested that I inform you that she was hospitalized for reasons that shall remain unknown until she sees you, or longer after that, but is now fine. She also wishes I ask you not to worry, she is fine. Don't call anymore, baka, she'll see you...when she sees you. I think that suffices. Goodbye."

Chi-Chi heard Bulma's muffled, annoyed protests come from the background. "Give Bulma the PHONE, YOU MONSTER!"

"Hi, Chich, it's B."

"BULMA, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN ANSWERING YOUR PHONE? WHY ARE YOU WITH _HIM_?"

"Okay, Chi, breath." She heard her high strung friend exhale. "Okay, second, I can't really explain much to you, but I just called to let you know I'm fine and please don't worry about me. I'll be home soon, okay?"

"Bulma, if you don't tell me where the fuck you are, I will go straight to your parents. And, you _know _they will have every cop in this fucking country looking for you. So, where _are _you?!"

"You wouldn't!" Bulma exclaimed. That would be too far, right? She argued to herself.

"Yes. I. Would."

"Ugh...Hold on a sec," Bulma surredned, hitting the mute button on the screen. "Vegeta, I need to tell her where we are. I won't tell her why or where we're going, but everything's gonna get screwed up if I don't. I'm sorry."

Vegeta growled and thought to himself for a moment. On one hand, the idiot girl that Bulma was friends with knowing where they were wasn't a good idea, but he found himself trusting the blue haired woman's instincts more and more each day, thus he stiffly nodded at her, exhibiting his agreement.

"Okay, Chi..." Bulma began, taking the phone off mute. "I am at the Orange Star Hospital, near the base of Mount Fuji-"

"Mount _Fuji_? What are you _doing _there?!" Chi-Chi interrupted.

"CHI, shut up! I'm at the Orange Star Hospital near the base of Mount Fuji. You asked me where I am, and I told you. I can't tell you why, or anything, but please don't come here, okay? Promise me that!"

Chi-Chi gulped. "What was that? Sorry, I can't here you, B! Gotta go!" And, the line went dead.

"So...We have a little bit of a drive ahead of us," Chi-Chi explained to her onlooking friends.

* * *

**THE NEXT DAY**

Bulma rolled around in her, hospital bed, trying to find a comfortable position to nap in. How was she ever going to fall asleep? It was five in the afternoon. She wasn't a newborn baby or above the age of ninety. She had no business entering her REM cycle at this hour She wrestled with the sheets, pulling them over her face, then deciding against it. She lay on her stomach but found herself more at ease when lying on her side. She didn't know why she was so restless but assumed it had something to do with the secret she was keeping from the flame haired boy who was sitting just a few feet away from her at that very moment. The fact that she hadn't told him that she had heard him admit that he cared about her was eating her alive, and it made no sense. It wasn't even that big a deal, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to bring it up because she knew if she did, her true, _true_ feelings for him would come out. She rolled over onto her other side, trying to shut out her anxious thoughts from taking over her mind.

"Woman, stop your fussing at once!" Vegeta snarled from the corner of the now dimly lit hospital room.

Bulma sat up in her bed angrily. "Well, excuse me, Vegeta, for trying to get comfortable! Ugh, you are so annoying!"

He gaped at her. How dare she speak with him that way? He had saved her life, taken time out of his busy schedule to wait until she recovered, been there at her beck and call for the past 48 hours. How could she still treat him with such disgust? Perhaps she still hasn't forgiven me for the _incident_, he mused, while leafing through a rather boring magazine about real estate in Tokyo. He snapped it shut, wanting to burn his eyes out due to boredom.

"Entertain me," he rasped, moving from his side chair to the edge of her bed, still looking quite stiff all the while.

Bulma rolled her cerulean eyes. "What, am I your servant or something?"

"Yes," he sneered, running a finger down her cheek interestedly. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on.

"I don't think so, bud!" She retorted, looking away from him in a fake anger attempt. He snickered, loving the way he could get her all riled up. He swallowed hard on his yearn to take her, then and there. He had already kissed her for the last time, as he had phrased it. Getting romantically or physically involved with Bulma would bring about too many complications. And, he had hurt her too many times in the past. _And_, she had said that she couldn't be with him again, and though she had broken that promise a few times, her words still rung true. They were clearly not good for each other. They brought out all the bad emotions in each other: possessiveness, jealousy, anger, rage, lust. Vegeta pushed away the fact that he was never happier than when he was with his little blue haired scientist.

"Woman, you must," he persuaded, leaning back into her pillows and closing his eyes for a few moments. It was the most relaxed he had felt since rescuing Bulma from the arms of Dr. Gero.

"Fine," she grunted. "Tell me something."

"Tell you what?"

"Anything."

"Why would I do that?" He glared at her. This was not the entertainment he had in mind. He was hoping she would tell him some bogus story about her friends or a summary of a new science project, just so he could hear her voice, and it would gently lull him to sleep. Although she screeched on occasion, her voice was among the more calming things in his life.

"Why can't you ever just cooperate? Kami, sometimes you make me want to rip my hair out, Vegeta..." she groaned, playfully nudging him with her elbow. He rolled his eyes at her feeble attempt to hurt him.

"You tell me something," he offered, looking up at the white ceiling above them.

Bulma thought to herself. Should she go with something heavy duty, like a profession of her feelings? Kami, this would be the perfect opportunity to tell Vegeta she had heard him, while she was in the coma! But, she thought about it for a few moments longer and realized he was most definitely not ready to admit that. She didn't know if she was ready to _hear _his admission. She figured she would go for a more lighthearted confession. "Uh...I hate even numbers cause-"

"They're too perfect." He finished, not looking away from the blank ceiling. "Try again," he growled.

"You knew that?" She inquired, amazement lighting up each of her syllables. She didn't even remember telling Vegeta about that. Even if she had, she was completely stunned that he would recall it and then have the audacity to admit it to her.

"Obviously, woman. Did I not just make that perfectly clear?" He snapped, now peering into her beautiful eyes, noting to himself how he loved how they shined with wonder whenever he surprised her.

Completely taken aback by this rare exhibition of feelings, Bulma gently cupped Vegeta's cheek with her small hand, gently pulling him closer to her. His eyes never left hers, except for a brief second to glance at her full lips. He knew what she was about to do. Knew that, for both their sakes, he should stop her. But, the electricity that sparkled between them was too much for him to fight off, and he found himself slowly closing his eyes, unable to resist her any longer.

"Uh, Miss Briefs, these people are here to see you," Bulma heard the nurse say from the door, awkwardly, and she quickly pulled away from the spiky haired boy, immediately looking quite flushed. To her astonishment, as her eyes found the doorway, they fell on Goku. She then glanced to his right and saw Chi-Chi standing there, biting her lip nervously.

Vegeta let out an irritated sigh, knowing this would happen if Bulma revealed their location. She was much too loved by her friends for them to leave her with him, alone. For Kami knows how long.

"What the hell are you all doing here?!" Bulma yelled. She squinted her eyes in annoyance as she noticed Krillin, 18, Yamcha, and 17 standing behind Goku and Chi-Chi. There was silence for a few moments, and she knew her friends were searching for the right words to start with.

"We're bringing you home, B," Chi finally explained.

* * *

Chapter 9, done! I think this chapter was kind of boring, but the last one was more exciting, so I needed to balance it out. So, the rest of the gang has joined them! Will Bulma listen to her friends and go home? Or, will she stay with Vegeta? Will they _all _stay? Find out next chapter! Also, please, please keep reviewing because if I get a lot of reviews, I can tell that you guys are enjoying the story, and I will update faster! Also, reviews just make me happy LOL, I like to know you guys are enjoying my writing. Also, let me know if you are confused/want to see anything happen/etc. It's September :(. Okay, well anyway, please review, and thank you for sticking with me and reading! Sorry this update took so long!


	10. Chapter 10

She dragged her nails down his back forcefully, relishing in his loud grunt of pleasure in her ear. He nibbled at her lobe not so gently but all the while savoring in her sweet taste. He moved to her lips, attacking them as though he would never have them again. He bit down into her bottom lip and punctured the skin slightly, but she did not mind. And, neither did he. He savored in the salty taste of her blood, quietly smiling at the fact that it tasted almost exactly like her skin did. He carefully slid his tongue over her lip, lapping up every last drop before pulling away to look into her interested eyes with wonder. They always had so much to say. Right now they were swimming with lust and desire, silently begging him to pleasure her, craving his body, craving his touches. He smirked as he proceeded to do as she wished.

He shifted down slightly so that his face was in the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent deeply again, and it aroused him more than he ever though possible. He sucked hard on the skin there causing her to moan time and time again, constantly reassuring him that he was doing something right. He dragged his two front teeth over the skin slowly, which resulted in her whimpering with her need for him. He bit down into her, more gently this time, not puncturing the skin, but placing her on the precarious brink of pleasure and pain. He grinned into the hollow of her neck before lowering himself even more, just so he could carefully slide his tongue over her perky, pink nipple. It immediately became erect, and he sucked hard on it, tasting her and salty sweat beads that were beginning to form on her chest. His manhood was throbbing at this point. He used his right hand to knead her other nipple, and she writhed with blissful pleasure underneath him, every now and then she whispered his name or gasped. He finally surrendered into giving her what she wanted most. He torturously slowly moved his fingers down from her chest, to her navel, and finally even further down. He prodded her clitoris gently and then more forcefully, and she began to thrash her arms, it was all becoming too much for her. How could a single man blow her mind with simply one finger? She would never, could never understand his effect on her. He slipped his finger further into her, bringing it dangerously close to her entrance. She was dripping wet now.

He captured her eyes with his and she looked deep into the onyx slits. She could see desire. But most of all she could see passion, which increased her thirst for him even more, if that were possible. Knowing that he wanted her too, just as much, made the experience all the more exciting. He distracted her expertly with his typical smirk and then, when she was least expecting him to make his move, thrust his teasing finger into the depths of her warm folds.

"Vegeta!" She cried out. She suddenly felt her body begin to rock, as though someone were shaking her.

"Bulma, wake up!" The blue haired girl's eyes fluttered open to a concerned looking Chi-Chi. So, it had just been a dream, she thought disappointedly to herself. "Why were you screaming Vegeta's name?" The raven haired girl inquired innocently.

"Oh, just a bad dream," Bulma lied, running her thin fingers through her blue hair slowly. Where _was _she? This was not the hospital; there was a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling, almost identical to the one in the room at the bed and breakfast she and Vegeta had been staying at earlier. "Where the hell are we, Chi? I fell asleep in my hospital bed..." She trailed off, getting up from the bed slowly and coming to terms with the aches she felt all over her body. Although she was going to be fine, Bulma still hadn't completely recovered from the incident with Dr. Gero. She was still in a lot of pain, but she hoped no one would notice, especially Vegeta. She didn't want him thinking her weak, and he did have a knack for constantly knowing exactly how she felt. She rolled her eyes.

"We're at some hotel I think you were staying at before," Chi-Chi replied, holding out her hand to help Bulma get up. "Are you okay, B? You seem a little shaken."

"I'm fine, thanks. When did we get here? Why did no one wake me up?" Bulma snapped.

"Well, the doctors came in around ten last night saying that you were free to go, but you had already fallen asleep...Goku was going to wake you up, but Vegeta insisted that you needed your rest," Chi-Chi explained, choosing not to add how Vegeta had also not let Goku wake Bulma up so he wouldn't have to hear her annoying voice, as he had informed them the previous night. "So, he carried you into the car, and we brought you here. You sleep like a rock, Bulms."

The blue haired girl felt her heart warm at the thought that Vegeta had cared about her rest. "Oh, okay."

"Well, I woke you up cause Vegeta and Goku need to talk to you, and the rest of us," Chi-Chi explained, carefully helping Bulma into the bathroom so that she could wash up. In about ten minutes, Bulma Briefs emerged from the bathroom looking about as good as ever. She had quickly brushed her hair, put it into a pony tail, and moisturized her face causing it to shine and appear very fresh. She smiled at her reflection and quickly slid some lip balm over her chapped lips. She wasn't a big fan of make up, but lip balm was a necessity.

"Where are they?" Bulma asked her friend, and Chi-Chi motioned to the room across the hall, her and Goku's suite. There were two bedrooms in the suite; one for her Goku and the other for Yamcha and Krillin. 17 and 18 had a room down the hall. Krillin was always thinking of lame excuses to go down there to speak with 18, as Chi-Chi informed Bulma, causing the blue haired girl to crack up. "Typical Krillin..." she mused while chuckling. As they entered Chi-Chi's room, the two girls saw everyone situated on the sofa, turned around to face the door, as though they were waiting for them.

"Finally," Vegeta growled as he saw Bulma enter the room. He tried to hide the relief that flooded his face as he noted that she had her color back. Her eyes were bright with wonder, and all he wanted to do was fuck everything else and walk up to her and kiss those beautiful, rose colored lips. He restrained himself, however. He was a man of honor. A man of pride. A man of strength. Only weak men lowered themselves to publicly displaying their affection for their women. _A _woman, he reminded himself, kicking himself internally for being possessive over her.

"Well, I'm _sorry_, Vegeta!" Bulma screeched, suddenly walking up very close to the flame haired man. He quietly growled at her, and she smirked, loving when she could get a rise out of him.

Goku cleared his throat. He could see some clear tension between the two and wondered if they had gotten back together or something. What had sparked his speculation was when he had hugged Bulma the previous day, and he had smelt Vegeta on her. He didn't know how that was possible, but there was no mistaking the deep, dark scent that lingered on her skin. It wasn't something that would stay on her if Vegeta had just held her briefly; Goku knew that Vegeta's smell could only remain on her if there was some serious touching between the two, and that fact made him chuckle, all together forgetting how weird it was that he could tell that Bulma smelled like Vegeta. He had even asked Chi-Chi and Yamcha earlier if they could sense it as well, and they had both looked at him confusedly.

"Get on with it, Kakarot," Vegeta stated monotonously. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes at Vegeta's cold tone. "Do you have something to say?" He snapped at her, catching her eye roll.

"Vegeta, calm down," Bulma said suddenly, stroking the angry man's arm slowly. He quickly felt the tension leave his chest; it had been almost a week since the woman had voluntarily touched him. Well, apart from what _almost _happened the night Kakarot and his stupid friends had showed up...

"Chi-Chi says you and Goku have something to talk to us about?" His little blue haired scientist asked him. He grunted in agreement.

"Yeah!" Goku cried enthusiastically. "Guys," he addressed the group before him with his typical, kind smile. "Vegeta and I were talking, and we came to a decision-"

"I only agreed to this for strategic purposes," Vegeta irritatedly cut in. She could almost feel his anger coursing through him. Bulma continued stroking his arm, hoping that she could calm him and contemplating to herself why his temperature was rising. She could feel heat radiating through his sleeve. This was not normal behavior. She would check him out when they returned to their room later.

"Mhm, well anyway," Goku proceeded, "Vegeta told me what he and Bulma have been doing, and he's decided that it would be to his advantage if we all helped him, as opposed to just Bulma."

"I have no interest in fucking Vegeta," 17 sneered, thinking himself quite amusing. 18 whacked the back of his head. Vegeta felt rage bubbling inside him. He had never really liked 17, only kept him around because he had a lot of mutual friends with the woman, and this gave him more of a reason to be in her presence, without actually admitting to himself that he missed her.

"Do you have a death wish, boy?" Vegeta asked him. There was no disdain or anger in his voice; it was a simple question, which made it all the more terrifying on 17's behalf.

"Guys, please," Goku pressed. His patience was being tested, and that was rare. "Does anyone know what the Dragon Balls are?"

Most of the group shook their heads slowly, clearly dumbfounded by Goku's question. 18 spoke up, "Yeah. I remember reading about it like the one time I did AP World homework." She smirked. "They're, like, mystical objects that are supposed to grant wishes, right?"

Bulma nodded encouragingly at the blonde girl, although she didn't know where exactly Goku and Vegeta were going with this. Vegeta reached into Bulma's purse, extracted the orange ball, and tossed it at 18, knowing she would catch it. The blue eyed girl looked at curiously, and, for once, wonder actually lit up her otherwise stone cold expression. "Are you _serious_?"

Goku took over. "Yep, they exist. How insane is that?" He asked rhetorically. "Anyway," his tone suddenly grew very solemn, "they've been looking for the Dragon Balls so Vegeta can wish his mother back."

The room became very silent. Vegeta wasn't the nice guy around, but everyone felt for him when it came to the loss of his mother. They respected that not having her in his life anymore had caused him to become a more hateful and angry person than before, and they didn't really blame him for it. Almost everyone that was close to him figured that what he had done to Bulma all those years ago had a lot to do with how he was dealing with his mother's death, and although that did not excuse his actions, it put them into a little bit more of a perspective.

Goku continued, "He suggested that I come along because so far the journey's been a tad dangerous." He motioned to Bulma who looked away uncomfortably.

"I _can _handle everything," Vegeta pushed, "but I need someone to look after the woman for me. I'd send her home, but her technologically genius mind is of use to me."

"Yeah..." Goku muttered awkwardly. "_Anyway_, I thought it would be best if we all went and helped. I for one am in. Vegeta's my best friend-"

Vegeta scoffed and rolled his eyes, only causing Goku to snicker. They have such a strange friendship, Bulma mused to herself.

"And I'm going to do anything I can to get Mrs. Ryuu back. She was the closest thing to a mother I've ever had. Who's in?"

18 immediately jumped in. She was being very enthusiastic today, a rare occurrence. "I'm in. I love a good challenge, and your mom was the best." She said to Vegeta. He merely grunted but secretly appreciated 18. He would definitely call her a "friend" if he used that repulsive word. She didn't tolerate his nonsense, and he didn't tolerate hers. And, she didn't pity him, much like everyone else did, following his mother's death.

"I would love to help. Count me in," Krillin said politely. He was not on the best terms with Vegeta, but he knew, from Bulma's multiple explanations, that his mother was very important to him. This would also give him a chance to keep an eye on his blue haired friend and, hopefully, get close to 18.

17 nodded slowly to exhibit his consent. He didn't want to miss out on a possible chance to get in Bulma's pants. And, if he was being totally honest, he felt pretty bad about Vegeta's loss. He wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy.

Chi-Chi and Yamcha were last to make the decision. Chi knew it was the right thing to do. She was most certainly not Vegeta's biggest fan, but he had been semi nice to her when he and Bulma had been dating. And, she had to be there to support her best friend and look out for her. She knew Bulma would end up back in Vegeta's arms if she didn't keep the blue haired girl on a short leash. And, Goku wasn't exactly the worst company in the world. "I would like to help," she agreed quietly. Goku beamed at her, and Bulma squeezed her best friend's hand as if to say "thank you."

Yamcha was the last to make the decision. He had a dilemma. He _really _liked Bulma, he might even say that he loved her. He knew doing this would increase his chances of getting her back, which he so desperately wanted. He could never understand what possessed him to cheat on such a perfect woman. He looked at her face carefully, hoping she wouldn't catch him staring. Or worse, Vegeta catch him staring. She was spectacular. Not just her looks. The fire and spark inside her that would never cease to amaze him. Her intelligence, her class, her look on the world. Her laugh. But on the other hand, he hated Vegeta. The flame haired boy was causing an even greater rift between he and Bulma, and Yamcha did not like that one bit. But, he had to have Bulma again. She made him so happy. "I want to help, also. This is late, but...I'm sorry for your loss, man." He admitted in Vegeta's direction.

Vegeta merely glared at the woman's ex-lover. How dare he pity him? Vegeta was far superior to that moron. He didn't not even deserve to look at him, let alone speak to him.

Goku began speaking again, trying to distract Vegeta before he ripped out Yamcha's jugular vein and made a necklace out of it. "That's great, guys. Okay, so, we're going to leave tomorrow morning to find the second Dragon Ball." He turned to Bulma. "Vegeta told me you made a radar?"

"Yeah," Bulma replied. "I actually made two, just in case something happened to ours, but I guess we can split in to two groups now."

"Awesome, B!" Goku exclaimed. Bulma blushed as her new friend addressed her with her nickname, which caused Vegeta to growl quietly. He didn't like it when the woman got attention from anyone other than he, let alone another man. "So, tomorrow, we'll use the radars to look up the two closest Dragon Balls, and then Vegeta, Bulma, Krillin, and 18 will go look for one, and me, Chi, Yamcha, and 17 will go look for the other. Do you guys have that?"

Goku then proceeded to go into more detail about the mission.

* * *

The gang had decided to spend a light hearted last evening in the hotel before embarking on their at least somewhat dangerous journey. They had ordered in some pizza and were catching up on each other's lives. Yamcha told some embarrassing stories causing Krillin to almost pass out from laughing so hard.

"I hate these bluuuuuurrredddd linesssss!" Krillin sang horribly as he tried to mimic Robin Thicke. His cheeks turned vermillion when he noticed that even 18 cracked a smile at his atrocious impersonation.

Unlike everyone else, Vegeta was not having a good time. He knew that, although most of these people epitomized the word moron, having them all along would make his search for the Dragon Balls go a lot smoother. It would also ensure his little blue haired scientist's safety. But, he didn't understand how they could be so carefree. He was so close to getting his mother back, and all they could do was laugh as though there was nothing wrong with the world. He silently appreciated how Bulma was just observing, not really partaking in the fun, smiling every now and then, but remaining quiet. She knew this must be hard for Vegeta, and she didn't think it was the right time to annoy him.

Not being able to deal with the idiots any longer, he left the room abruptly, crossing the hall into his and Bulma's room. He lay down on the bed and rubbed his temples. The Yam-whatever man's laugh had given him a migraine. Why did he have to agree to come along? Would it be too late to make a soup out of his blood?

He heard the door open a few minutes later and knew the woman had come to see what was wrong with him. "Go away," he murmured before she even opened her mouth.

She had learned to ignore him when he pushed her away. "What's wrong, Vegeta?" When he did not reply, she continued, "I brought some ice cream."

His ears perked at the sound of that creamy goodness. "What flavor?"

"Phish food, of course." He could hear the smirk in her voice, and he softened at the fact that she remembered his favorite ice cream.

"Fine," he grunted.

They sat together in silence in silence for a while, eating from the same carton, each thinking about each other but not quite knowing what to do with their feelings. Occasionally Bulma would crack a bad joke, and Vegeta would roll his eyes at her. But, he appreciated her being there for him. She could've just ignored him and spent the night with her friends, the ones that had actually been there for him through the years. But no, she was sitting here in a room with a man who had broken her heart, yet she was still constantly flashing him the most beautiful, genuine smile he had ever laid eyes on.

Bulma took her spoon of ice cream and smeared it on the flame haired boy's nose, almost crying out of laughter when she saw Vegeta's expression. "Woman, you are such a child," he groaned. He pushed her down on the bed and wiped the chocolate goodness from his face with his sleeve. She found his eyes and winked seductively.

"Why are you flirting with me, woman?"

"Because you like it." She sat up and brought her face closer to his.

"Is that what you think?" He asked her, his eyes surveying her face, trying to understand her.

"That's what I know." She replied, leaning more into him, electricity coursing through her from head to toe.

"Foolish woman," he smirked, grazing the back of her neck gently with his finger tips.

He immediately pulled away from her when there was a knock at the door. He angrily yanked it open and fury almost caused him to implode when he saw that Yamcha was standing before him.

"No," he growled and was about to slam the door in the idiot's face.

"Wait!" Yamcha tried to reason. "Bulma, can we talk, please?"

Bulma rolled her eyes. She was already angry at him for two things: for cheating on her _and _ruining her moment with Vegeta. She did not want to even be in the same room with him, let alone speak with him. "This is _really _not a good time, Yamcha...We'll talk tomorrow, or something."

Yamcha persisted, "Bulma, please. I really need to talk to you. I won't bother you after."

"Boy, get the fuck out of here, don't you have ears? She said no!" Vegeta grumbled, pulling Yamcha towards him threateningly by his shirt.

"Just give me ten minutes, and I'll never bother you again," he tried again. Vegeta was about to end his life. He could not deal with this boy's pathetic existence for one moment longer. What kind of man begged? Did he have no shame?

"Oh, Yamcha, stop being so melodramatic," Bulma snapped, getting up from the bed. "Ten minutes."

Yamcha grinned widely. Vegeta rolled his eyes but figured the woman was making a smart decision; he didn't know how much more he could take of the moron before he actually tossed him out the window without giving a second thought. And, he didn't think that would go over well with his little blue haired scientist.

Bulma and Yamcha entered his room about a minute later, and Yamcha closed the door behind them. Bulma's raised her eyebrow suspiciously.

"What is it, Yamcha?" She asked, coming off a little more rude than she had intended.

"Bulma," he began slowly, looking at his hands. "Well, first, I'm so sorry about what happened...That was the stupidest-"

"Yamcha, it's forgiven. I thought we moved past that."

"Well, you have, but I still can't believe I did that to you. Bulma...I...I love you."

Bulma's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to go down that road. She thought she had killed any possible future with him when she had broken up with him. She had most certainly not thought that he would persist; he didn't even seem to like her _that _much. She could tell he was being sincere when he apologized to her, however. She didn't think he had genuinely tried to hurt her by cheating on her. Nonetheless, she didn't feel for him anymore. Vegeta had captured her heart completely; Yamcha's words didn't not even make a dent.

"Yamcha, that's really sweet, but-"

"B, I love you, and I want you back. I know it'll be hard for you to trust me again, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get you to see that I'd never hurt you again..."

Bulma took the confessing boy's hands in hers. She smiled at him sadly. "Yamcha, I'm sorry, but it's not like that-"

"Bulma, please," he pleaded, and before she could even register what was happening, he pressed his cold, unfamiliar lips against hers. Her mind clarified for her that Yamcha was kissing her, not Vegeta, and she was about to push him off her, when she heard the door swing open. Her eyes sprung open just in time to see Yamcha suddenly fly into the wall. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve out of disgust and whipped her head around.

Shockingly, Yamcha lay crumpled on the floor in an injured heap. The wall with which he had collided was severely cracked due to the impact. She turned her head again to see Vegeta standing to her right. He lifted his fist closer to his face shakily, wondering how on Earth he had just done that.

"How...?" Bulma gasped, not even being able to finish her sentence.

* * *

Sorry this took so long! Wow, how did Vegeta do that? Is that even _humanely _possible?! Please, _please _keep reviewing guys! It really helps me, and I promise I will update more quickly if you review, so I know what to work on and such.

Next time: how the hell did Vegeta do that? The groups split up and go look for the Dragon Balls...Is Yamcha gonna be okay?

Thank you! And remember, please review!

P.S. That song is Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke, and I do not own it! It's just super catchy! Please don't sue me!


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